


Fire Emblem: Call of the Abyss

by Unionhack



Series: Fire Emblem: The Archadia Series [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, original - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-03-07 17:45:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 69,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3177833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unionhack/pseuds/Unionhack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An original story based in the Fire Emblem universe. A continuation of a UESP Forum RP of the same name.</p><p>Upon the continent of Castradea, there were five nations that lived in a relatively fragile state of peace, the only thing keeping each nation from attacking the others was the fear of reprisal from an ally.</p><p>However, disaster struck when the capital of Esteos, Estralis city, sank into the sea by unknown means. Taking much of the  countryside with it, the loss of the capital caused a collapse in the infrastructure of the continent's most powerful nation, throwing it into complete chaos almost overnight.</p><p>With the King and Queen of the realm dead and no form of government to claim sovereignty over the broken nation, the other four nations of Albium, Arcymis, Ormica, and Indartis, all stepped in to lay claim over the land for reasons each their own.</p><p>In the midst of the chaos, Prince Isaac of Esteos, only child of the recently deceased King Steiner IV, heard tales of his crumbling homeland while visiting family in Albium. Vowing to reclaim what was once his, Isaac gathers his close vassals and officers lent to him by his uncle to restore his home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Summarizations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Monty Oum](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Monty+Oum).



> I highly recommend you check out the original topic on the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages if you're curious about the origins of the story. I like to think I explain it well here, but not quite as well as I did in the topic post from the UESP.
> 
> You can find it at http://forums.uesp.net/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=37627 .
> 
> ___
> 
> In light of Monty Oum's death and the subsequent message from his co-workers and loved ones to spend time doing something creative, finishing a project as he would've done, I've decided to gift this small work in his memory. It's not a huge deal; just a continuation of a story that I made with a few friends, one that I doubt will spread far on the internet; but it's something I made myself and I'm proud of that. R.I.P Monty, may you never be forgotten.

It was a tragedy, shocking people throughout the world. On a seemingly normal day, the grand capital of the nation Esteos, the pristine and beautiful Estralis city, was quite literally lost to sea. Within the span of a mere few hours, the land beneath and surrounding the city was swallowed into the ocean, leaving few survivors.

With the center of their very nation lost so suddenly, the infrastructure of Esteos crumbled almost overnight, as much of the nation's commerce and success depended on the capital. Most of the nation became lawless land, full of bandit clans taking advantage of the chaos or nobles attempting to seize power in their own holdings to establish their own kingdoms amidst the lawlessness.

Throughout the chaos, neighboring nations (Indartis, the nation of Judges; Arcymis, the nation of mages; Ormica, the nation of mercantile city states; Albium, the nation of farmers) stepped in to keep order out of either friendship to Esteos or out of personal interest to keep their own borders secure. With so many nations attempting to establish order in such a short time, many small skirmishes and strange alliances have sprung up in the quest to keep Esteos from becoming a desolate land fit only for criminals and ruffians. Ironically, the campaign to keep the peace has caused only more strife.

In the middle of all the chaos, the only child of King Steiner of Esteos, the young prince Isaac, had been informed of his country's sudden downfall while out visiting relatives in the neighboring nation of Albium. Suddenly his life was thrown into to complete disarray; his entire immediately family dead, he finds himself now the only remaining Lord of the now defunct nation. Against the recommendation of his cousin, Princess Kimata of Albium, Isaac has made it his goal to re-establish his kingdom in the name of his late father, and to push out foreign interests to bring Esteos back to life and to find out just what caused the entire city to fall.

With his mission laid out before him, Isaac's uncle, King Ghayle of Albium, provided his young nephew with soldiers from his own elite guard so that he could hold is own as he tried to establish his new holding in Esteos.

Isaac counted many among his friends: his close friend Silas the myrmidon, Naomi the thief, Kasumi the tactician, Faye the cavalier and bodyguard to the prince, Daud the knight and bodyguard to the prince, Ririka the mercenary, Alora the pegasus knight, and many others. Together they marched off from Albium, seeking first to establish a foothold in what used to be Esteos.

The early details of Isaac's campaign were not well-documented; it is generally accepted that the company of Esteans led by the prince fought through a number of bandits and drove out several enemy companies out from villages in the area before arriving the twin cities Ebonreach and Bellhall; the city of Forges and the City of Clerics, respectively. In between the two cities was a valley where Arcymis, Indartis, and Ormica forces were all clashing.

The Estean company charged in and caused mass chaos in the already chaotic melee. Daud, knowing that the Indartians were an honor-bound people, accepted a knightly challenge from the proud Indartian captain on the condition that Ebonreach would be relinquished to the Esteans should he win. Daud nearly lost his life in the duel, but eventually prevailed and secured the city for his Prince and country. 

With a solid foothold, the Esteans retreated to Ebonreach after liberating it, and made plans to take Bellhall, which was held by Ormican forces. The plan, formulated by the soft-spoken tactician Kasumi, was to split the force of the Esteans in two; one to distract the front lines of the defenders while a separate force entered the city via a sewer line. The plan was a success and the city fell easy once the flanking began, but it was what happened after the success of the siege that would go down in the history books...


	2. The Nature of Our Enemy

Daud, bodyguard and loyal soldier to Prince Isaac, thunked the blunt end of his spear on the stone bricks of the Bellhall market square when the field captain of the Ormican forces fell. With their leader killed, the rest of the soldiers under the banner of Ormica laid down their arms.

"See that they be allowed to leave the city." Prince Isaac announced, sheathing his blade. Kind as always, perhaps to a fault, the prince refused to take prisoners or kill those who surrendered unless absolutely necessary. "Daud, Kasumi, we make for city hall when we're all ready."

The cyan haired strategist, Kasumi by name, sheathed her blade as well. Her plan had worked; much to her relief, as she believed it was a strategist's role to always expect the worst of any given situation. Their success was largely based on the quick actions of their 'sewer team', who, albeit few in number, took on the most pivotal role of the battle by flanking the Ormican forces, causing confusion and chaos to spread among their ranks. She hadn't doubted the viability of a surprise strike, but it was still a great relief to see her friends doing well.

Friends? Yes, perhaps she could call them that. They had been on the road of conquest for a few weeks now, and the heat of battle had a knack for forging bonds among comrades. Even for one deterred by social interactions such as Kasumi, comrades were good to have. Friends, even better.

Isaac had hardly turned in the direction of the city hall when he was nearly knocked off his feet by a flying hug. The color blue flooded his vision and the repugnant stench of the sewers assaulted his nostrils; Naomi, the azure-haired thief and 'leader' of the quickly-formed sewer team, hung from the Prince's neck as he spun around to keep himself from falling over.

"Next time I'm not going anywhere you're not!" Naomi nearly shouted, landing back on her feet after the hug. "Sending me into a sewer... are you serious? I smell life refuse!"

Isaac blushed as he was briefly lectured, scratching the back of his neck. "I... trusted you would get the job done."

Naomi sighed. "Well, I guess you were right. I made it out alright. Still, it's nerve-wracking worrying about you! And... all of the others, too, I mean. You sure you have to take to the field?"

"Yes." the prince stated firmly. "No man can expect others to follow him when he himself doesn't go. Still... it's good to have people I trust leading the way alongside me. I have a lot to be thankful for, Naomi. You and the others, in particular."

The sound of clopping hooves could be heard; Daud turned to see Faye, the second of Isaac's two bodyguards and his lieutenant, approaching on top of her armored horse. Daud tried to stop her from getting closer and interrupting the 'moment' that Isaac appeared to have initiated, but for all his hand signals and strained facial expressions, Faye continued on her stride. Duty first, it seemed.

"My lord, if I may?" Faye called out. Isaac turned from Naomi, whom merely sighed and threw her cloak back over her shoulders. "The way to city hall is cleared and all the exits are guarded. We may proceed when you are ready."

Nodding, Isaac stepped forward. "Then let us meet their commander and see what can be done about all of this. I'm eager to meet this... 'Icthyus', was it?"

That being said, Isaac proceeded forward with Daud, Kasumi, Faye and Naomi to the city hall of the city of Bellhall. Like the rest of the city's buildings, the hall was made of a sparkling white marble, accentuated with glass windows of all kinds of colors. Just as its' sister city Ebonreach was known as the City of Forges, Bellhall was known as the City of Glass, named for the glass-working artisans that brought much profit into the city.

A pair of Estean soldiers awaited the prince and his entourage as they approached the front door. With his approach, the soldiers stepped away and allowed the prince to open the door.

"A word of caution, milord. There may be enemies in hiding even still. I suggest we proceed with blades drawn." Daud reasoned. Isaac nodded and drew his rapier, continuing forward up the main stairway in the foyer of the building. As they approached the door, a new smell pervaded the senses of the prince and his companions that conflicted with the still-present smell of the sewers on Naomi. This new smell was sour, smelling of fish and the sea.

Naomi tried to stop herself from gasping. "Then... what the mayor of Ebonreach said... Was it true?"

Daud placed a gentle hand in front of Isaac and stepped forward, lance in hand, and then kicked down the door that lead into the main office of the city hall. He rushed in, and the others followed suit.

Instead of the usual "Drop your weapon" threats from Faye, however, the party of Esteans stood in silence as they gazed upon the primary occupant of the room; a being that could only be described as an alligator-man, a quadrupedal semi-aquatic beast with large fins on the side of its head and bright teal scales dotted with the occasional scale of a conflicting color. The creature stood at least eight feet tall, and wielded a golden trident that was almost as tall as it was. He was flanked by two robes figures, human in size in stature, each one holding a lance.

"I..." Isaac began, not sure what to say. 

"So this is the manling that seeks to lay claim to this blemish that they call a city." spoke the creature with hisses accompanying his speech. "And here I expected a man, not a runt." 

Isaac gritted his teeth and raised his rapier in the direction of the beast. "Whatever you are... I ask that you lay down your weapons and tell us of what you are and where you come from."

The creature let out a harsh cackling, presumably a laugh. "The manling seeks to 'ask' something of me! I, Icthyus of the Abyss, am honored!" it shouted. "No, you shall have nothing from me. Nothing save for your head on a pike!"

"You're in no place to make threats! Surrender and we may show mercy!" Faye called out, while Daud tightened his grip on his lance. He took every threat directed at the prince with grim severity, protective as he was. 

"Mercy!" Icthyus responded, lowering his lance into a fighting stance. "You will be the ones begging for mercy when I pierce your hearts!" 

Daud, clad in his heavy armor, stepped forward to protect those that followed him. "So be it!" he shouted, launching his lance at one of the robed figures. The lance struck true and killed the robed figure instantly, piercing it cleanly through the torso. His lance gone, Daud retrieved the prize he had looted from his earlier duel against the Indartis captain; a curved 'Killing Lance', a lethal weapon surely to be useful against the foreign enemy. 

Faye made her approach on Icthyus, ducking under a broad sweep of the trident and swinging her blade against the fish-man's side. The blade struck, yet did nothing against the scales of the creature. Faye cursed and leapt back to dodge another swipe of the deadly trident. 

Kasumi, blade in hand, rushed over to the other robed figure, who had a lance aimed at Isaac. With a yell, she drove her blade into the figure's side and then kneed the figure in the hip. The hooded figure fell to the ground and dropped its lance, presumably dead. 

Icthyus brought his trident down at Faye, who rolled to the left to avoid the strike. The trident slammed into the office desk, smashing it into pieces and sending papers and inkwells into the air. Faye tried to sidestep again, which Icthyus exploited by leaning in and biting her shoulder with his powerful jaws. 

Faye's scream filled the room, alerting all the others as she fell to the ground with deep punctures in her pauldrons. Isaac rushed forward out of instinct and thrusted his rapier forward, scoring a hit against the creature's side. The piercing tip of the rapier proved far more effective than Faye's sword, drawing green blood and causing Icthyus to recoil. Once recovered, Icthyus thrusted his trident forward. Isaac parried it with his blade and stepped to the side, his heart beating fast as adrenaline alone drove him. 

Icthyus hissed with ferocity and swung his scaly fist forward, catching the prince in the cheek and sending him to the ground. With a cackle, the creature opened his fist and readied his claws for a killing blow, when he suddenly lurched forward. Naomi clutched the creature's back as she worked a dagger under a scale on his neck. As Icthyus writhed around and shook the thief off, Daud rushed forward from the felled hooded figure and drove his Killing Lance into Icthyus' torso. The lance pushed forward and through, poking out of the creature's back. The blade was coated in green blood, having ruptured several organs on its way through Icthyus' body. Naomi sighed in relief from her place on the ground.

Getting to his feet, Isaac readied his blade as Icthyus hissed in pain, trying in one last desperate attempt to bite at Daud. Isaac drove his rapier into the creature's mouth, stopping the hissing and killing Icthyus. 

With a grunt, Daud removed his lance from the creature and let him fall to the ground. Between pants, he turned around to see the two soldiers from outside rush into the room. "Milord, we heard fighting and..." one of them began, before falling into shocked silence at the scene that was before them.

Daud pointed at the two soldiers urgently. "Both of you, find a healer, immediately!" he commanded, sending the men away. Isaac was already at Faye's side, trying to comfort her as she gasped for air. "Milord, please. We have to treat her wound. Let me, please." 

The prince, a worried look on his face, nodded warily and backed away. Daud got to work by ripping off the punctured armor on Faye's shoulder, working his way to her shoulder. The bite marks were deep, and the surrounding skin had a sickly, pale complexion that emphasized the veins underneath. 

"Venom." Daud concluded, breathing heavily and he tore away more of Faye's bloodied shirt. "Just hang on, Faye. We'll get a healer as soon as we can." he reassured her as he drew a vulnerary from a pouch on his belt. His mind raced, terrified by his close comrade's condition. Not just comrade; Faye had been there since he first became a knight, and had practically been his mentor since the beginning. To think that her life hung in his hands...

Knowing vulneraries could either be drunk or rubbed, Daud quickly removed his plated gauntlet, leaving his gloved hand underneath, and generously applied the solution within the vial onto his fingers. He rubbed it onto the bite marks, hoping that it would at least slow the venom. To his shock, the solution seemed to do nothing but dissipate the blood around the wounds.

Faye continued to gasp in deeper and more pained breaths, and Daud knew her time was short. Holding the back of her head to lift it up, Daud looked into her eyes. "Faye! Can you hear me? Isaac is safe. The prince is safe."

Still gasping, Faye managed to work a few words into her gasps. "Stay... stay with... pr-prince..."

"You should have seen him. You'd be proud. You've kept him safe." Daud continued, knowing she would find comfort in knowing that her knightly duty had been fulfilled. 

"Stay..." she muttered one last time, gasping again before falling limp in Daud's hand. Kasumi and Naomi gasped, while Isaac merely watched, unable to speak. 

Daud closed his eyes, gently laying Faye's body onto the floor. "My lord, I... Forgive me." he muttered, deeply regretting what had transpired. Perhaps if he had engaged Icthyus first, he would have been able to withstand the bite with his thicker armor. He could only wonder now, with his old teacher lifeless on the floor. 

The two soldiers returned with Duncan, the healer provided by King Ghayle of Albium to aid Isaac, but gasped when they discovered they were too late. "Sir Daud, we..."

"Leave." Daud uttered, standing up from his kneeling position where Faye fell. "Have men sweep the estate. Leave no corner untouched." 

The soldiers hesitated, then nodded as they left the scene. Duncan approached, sighing. "I... would like to perform her last rites, if you would allow." he spoke, obviously disturbed by the corpse of the fish-man but knowing that he had a duty to perform.

"Please." Isaac spoke, choking back tears. 

With a nod, Duncan lowered his head and closed his eyes. "Naga, guide this woman to your side. Her noble life given in service, her death offered in service, may she find peace in your eternal embrace, when none was to be found in this world. May she pass into your realm in safety." 

Following the eulogy, Duncan bowed to Isaac and the others and then took his leave to let them deal with the scene in relative peace. 

"Kasumi, Naomi, investigate the room. I'm taking Faye away to where she can have a proper... service." Daud commanded, doing so knowing that Isaac was not in a state to give out orders. "My lord... if you would like to come with..."

"Yes, please." Isaac uttered, shuddering. Daud scooped up Faye's body gently, nodding to Kasumi and Naomi as he and the prince exited the office. 

Kasumi looked over the scene and sighed. "Only so much one can do. Wish... I could've done more." 

Shaking her head, Naomi patted Kasumi's shoulder and then pulled her into a hug. "It's alright. We won because of you. We couldn't have predicted this. But now we have a job to do, alright?" 

Kasumi nodded. Being the tactician, one who was supposed to keep a level head at all times, it was a little embarrassing to be have to be comforted. 

They began their search, and were quite taken aback at what they had found.


	3. A Pyre for a Warrior

"... may she find peace in your eternal embrace, when none was to be found in this world. May she pass into your realm in safety." Isaac couldn't help but let a tear fall as Duncan repeated the eulogy, this time at a formal ceremony in the center of the city of Bellhall.

Faye's body laid upon an unlit pyre, itself which was laid upon a stone slab. Her eyes closed, Faye's face looked peaceful in stark contrast to her armored body. She was suited in her old suit of blue armor, forged from a material known as mythril mined in Esteos and thus a symbol of her dedication to her country. In her hands she held her blade, as was tradition for a knight when they were to be laid to rest.

Silas, close friend to Isaac and a skilled Myrmidon, was the only one to speak. The prince was still in a state of mild shock and couldn't bring himself to speak, while Daud was never one for speeches and eulogies. It was obvious that Silas was deliberately trying to subdue his casual tone of voice out of respect for Faye.

"I... um... well, I've been Isaac's friend for a long time, and I've been around court even longer. And ever since I went with my old man- I mean, my father, to court to watch proceedings, I would always watch the knights and the guards instead. They had good-looking armor, you know? It was something a kid could distract himself with."

The myrmidon turned a saddened gaze at the glittering blue armor before resuming his speech. "I always wanted to wear something like that. To be as proud and diligent as Faye and the other knights. Then when I got older and found out that I was no good in a full suit of armor, Faye still worked with me and taught me about using a sword while unarmored. She taught me that everyone had the ability to better themselves and each other, no matter what uniform they wore. I don't think I'll ever forget that. I'm glad she went out doing something she believed in."

With that said, Silas stepped away from the makeshift podium that was placed before the pyre and handed a lit torch to Daud. With a solemn face, Daud lowered the torch and set the pyre ablaze, illuminating the darkened market square.

After paying their respects, the officers stepped away from the pyre to retire, when Kasumi and Naomi broke away from the crowd to speak to the Prince. "What is it?" Daud asked in place of Isaac, not wishing to make him say any more than was necessary. "Have you found anything?"

Naomi nodded. "We wanted to find you both earlier, but... In any case, you need to come see this." With a nod, Daud followed the two women with Isaac in tow.

* * *

 

"First is this." Kasumi began as the four of them entered the office of Bellhall City Hall once again. The bodies of Icthyus and the two hooded figures were still where they had been left. The strategist knelt down by one of the hooded figures and pulled the hood up, revealing a shocking sight.

Under the hood was the face of a human male, yet his appearance was mired by scales and small fins that seemingly grew from his skin. He appeared to be in the process of evolving into whatever Icthyus already was; this raised many questions. 

Isaac stood over the sight. "Does this mean... Icthyus used to be human?" he asked, poking around the office as he examined the scattered papers. With the mayor of the town dead, there was no one to help them go through all of the paperwork with an agenda; it would have to be gone through paper by paper, whichever papers weren't stained by the shattered inkwells. 

"Don't know. Other concern." Kasumi continued, pointing to Icthyus. "Fast acting venom. Was what killed Faye. Look at human." she stated, forcing open the mouth of the unhooded human-fishman hybrid. He appeared to be growing wicked teeth just like those of Icthyus. "May have to fight more in the future. Definite possibility. Should harvest venom from fully evolved specimen. May help create antidote." 

Isaac nodded. "Good thinking." he said, picking up the occasional missive or memo. "Did you find anything of note about their origins, or why they were here in the first place?"

With a sigh, Kasumi shook her head. "No. Nothing. Appear to be aquatic creatures however; presence of gills and apparent presence of lungs. Amphibious. Water-dwelling implied. May be the cause behind the sinking of the city, somehow. Whichever the case, no documentation kept."

"Then we will have to continue with our original plan for now." Daud reasoned. "Find the bandits to the north and see if they can be reasoned with. Then focus on driving the others out from Esteos."

"And wait to see if these fish-men rear their heads again. We will have to be wary of Ormica." Isaac concluded. "Of the three nations, they were the least I expected..."

Daud cleared his throat. "Summoners of fish-men or not, each of these nations stake a claim on a nation that is not theirs. Each will be dealt with as milord sees fit."

"Abyssnians." Kasumi stated.

The knight tilted his head. "Pardon?"

"Name for our foes. Abyssnians. More eloquent that fish-men, yes? Thought it sounded so." 

With a shrug, Daud nudged Icthyus' corpse with his foot. "Whatever we call them, they are a threat and must be disposed of as such. We can write stories and reports on them after."

Slightly offended, yet understanding his dismissive attitude, Kasumi merely nodded. "Should get some rest. Not much time before next move must be made."

"I'm coming too." Naomi called out, turning to follow. "Take care, both of you." she said, nodding to Daud.

"Right." Isaac replied, taking in a deep breath. "Thank you, Daud."

The knight turned to his prince. "For?" 

"Saving my life. Being by my side during all this. You've had every opportunity to leave, yet..."

"With all due respect, milord..." Daud began, kneeling before the prince. "It is my sworn duty to see you succeed and to support you with all I can. That is my duty as a knight, and... as a friend, I should be so bold to say."

With a smile, Isaac drew his rapier and tapped each of Daud's shoulders with it. "A better friend would be hard to come by, Daud. If you'd permit me, I'd like you to take Faye's position as Lieutenant. She can't be replaced, but... I think she would approve."

Daud was taken aback. He had expected to succeed Faye's line of work, but such an honor being personally bestowed by Isaac was still quite the gift. "I... Of course, my prince. You have my blade."

"Then rise, Sir Daud." Isaac commanded, purposefully overdoing the regal speech for comedic effect. "Funny. I've never knighted anyone before. I suppose, should we succeed in all of this, then I'll have to get used to it."

"You will make a fine King, sire." Daud replied, standing up. "I look forward to serving 'King Isaac'. Rolls off the tongue well." 

Isaac smiled warmly. For now, his woes were put aside. There would be time to grieve in private, and their victory, should it be granted to them, would be offered up to their fallen in the end.

* * *

 

Daud had just arrived at the city hall of Ebonreach where they had been granted quarter by the grateful Mayor of the town, when a soldier of the Estean forces approached him.

"Sir Daud?" he asked, holding a letter. 

"Yes?" Daud asked. He was in no mood for paperwork, and wanted nothing more than to get to bed. 

The soldier held out the letter. "We... went through Lieutenant Faye's effects as we were commanded, to sort out what would be buried with her ashes. This letter was there... it was addressed to you."

Daud's eyebrow raised as he took the letter. "I... I see. Thank you, soldier. You are dismissed."

The young man saluted Daud. "There was also another gift... it is in your room." 

"Thank you." Daud repeated, taking the letter up the stairs to the room that was his for the night. 

Daud opened the door and was surprised at what he saw. A lance was propped up against the wall of his room, its origin unclear. Upon closer inspection, Daud could see the lance was made of an unknown metal, the like that had a soft gold tint to it. The lance's head was beautifully engraved, and tied around the head was a red ribbon bearing the standard of some noble family. 

"Faye?" he asked aloud as he opened the letter in his possession and began to read it.

_Daud,_

_I will get right to the point; If you are reading this then I have perished in the line of duty. I apologize for leaving Isaac's safety to you, but I believe your hands are more than capable. You will help our dear Prince reach his goal; of this I am certain._

_I worry about Isaac, truly. His parents were loving yet they could only offer so much attention to the boy, given their royal duties. In our time spent together, I often thought of him as the son I could never have. I have seen him grow into a caring young man, capable of so much love and kindness. To see him plunged into the fires of war is nothing short of maddening, but given his sense of duty, I would hardly believe to shy away from what he sees as his destiny._

_Please, should the situation call for such, do not allow Isaac to go soft. He is benevolent, almost to a fault, and I fear it is this benevolence that will lead to him being betrayed or lead astray. The lad can be gullible, and I fear for snakes that would whisper their hidden agendas into his trusting ear. You must not let this happen._

_However, I do not ask that you take control and act the regent's part. Truly, I could never imagine you doing such a thing. Isaac must grow on his own. I believe that if he does well, he will make a fine King, possibly one to even surpass his ancestor, Esteos the Great. It is our duty as his loyal vassals to guide him to pure and lofty motives, and not lead him into the fires of unrighteousness._

_Lastly, I bestow upon you a gift. Delivered with this letter is the lance Reginlief. The lance has long been an artifact of my family, but as I am childless and without nieces or nephews, I fear I am the last of my house and have no one to pass it on to. I had long planned to give it to you upon my retirement, but seeing as the current situation demands that we be at arms constantly, I do not see such a thing happening in the near future. You know of my distaste for wielding lances, and I know you would get more use out of it than I ever would. The blade is sharp and resilient, after many years of use by my father, and his father's father, and so on. It will not fail you. May it serve as a relic of your own house-to-be._

_Fare thee well, my friend. I leave everything to you and the Prince._

_Make me proud,_

_-Faye_

With a heavy sigh, Daud folded the letter back up and placed it on his desk, then proceeded to retrieve Reginleif. His armor removed, Daud could freely swing the lance, and found it to be incredibly well balanced. Truly, the lance felt like the extension of his arms, and made a crisp whistling noise and it sliced through the air. Truly astonished by the gift, Daud silently placed it upon the rack that held his other weapons, and retreated to his bed so that he could reflect.

 


	4. The Bandit Fortress

After a few days of rest and replenishment of supplies, Isaac gathered his close vassals and advisors together in the city hall of Ebonreach to begin the next phase of their campaign.

"I realize this is still a contested course of action, but I still trust in Ned's belief that the bandits can help our cause. We must face the fact that we are largely outnumbered, even with the loaned soldiers from my uncle." Isaac began, holding a blue game piece in his hand. He placed it on the map laid upon the office table, standing it in southern Esteos. In addition, there were figures colored purple, yellow, and green; representing Arcymis, Indartis, and Ormica respectively. 

Kasumi stood beside Isaac and took over. "Other forces currently warring with each other. Only a matter of time before they notice our foothold, when we become a threat. If we are to approach the bandits, it must be now. Before we fight victors of the present conflict. Thought it was likely to be Indartis, but with Abyssnians presumably working for Ormicans, likely to upset the balance."

"It is as she says, we must go now if we are to gather the bandits as allies." Isaac concluded. "What say the lot of you?"

Daud crossed his arms. "I'm loathe to work with them, but... they are people looking for their lot in life, just as us. Either we go and attempt to make allies, or wonder of what could've been."

"You know my opinion on the matter." Ned pointed out. Ned was a former convict, released from his imprisonment by King Ghayle to serve the prince as an atonement in lieu of his sentence. Conscripting the bandits was his idea, as the leader of the largest bandit coven in the chaotic remains of Esteos was rumored to be ran by his estranged brother, Ted. Having been betrayed by his brother years before, Ned thirsted for revenge, and this was his closest shot. "We depose Ted and then take over, promise them a reward for taking part in the war, and give it to them when it's all said and done. So long as you dangle a prize in front of them, they'll take it."

"I suppose that's testimonial enough." Isaac pointed out, looking to the others and finding no objections. "Very well then. We make for the road tomorrow morning; I shall see you all then. Mayor Torm, thank you for the use of your home."

The group evacuated from the office, and Isaac followed them before being stopped by the mayor. "My liege, if I may?"

"Yes, what is it?" Isaac asked.

Mayor Torm cleared his throat. "Well, it's just... I was curious of where you intend to make your residence once you take up the mantle of King. Though I hate to say such, our old capital can no longer serve."

"You wish to make Ebonreach the seat of the kingdom?" Isaac asked, a little surprised. He liked the idea, and it was clear that the mayor was asking for the right reasons; the capital of the nation would likely attract plenty of trade, especially once the nation fully reformed. Such trade would bring great amounts of wealth to the mayor's people. "I can't say I dislike the idea; I will ponder on this. For now, we have a bit of work to do before deciding such things."

"Thank you, your highness. Such consideration is all I ask. Rest well, and best of luck." the mayor concluded, bowing before the prince before closing the door to the office.

* * *

Naomi was admittedly less than excited to get back on the road once again. It took several baths for her to finally get the smell of the sewers off, and even more washing of her clothes to remove the stench from them; to get back on the road and get them dirty all over again seemed to be a waste.

"Augh, how can I think like that?" she asked herself aloud. "The last thing I need to worry about is my clothes..."

Overhearing her, Ririka approached warily. The pink-haired mercenary was a recent yet outstanding recruit of King Albium's army and personally volunteered to serve the prince in his campaign; partly out of eagerness to help the needy, and partly from her almost childlike crush on the prince. To Ririka, Naomi was a shaky comrade, seeing as she was rival to the prince's affections; a far more successful rival, seeing as Ririka could hardly mutter a word to the man. 

"You alright?" asked Ririka, tilting her head. "Talking to one's self isn't a good sign, you know."

"Hm? Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just wondering whether or not this will work. It's a gamble; we don't know what these bandits are like." Naomi replied, not catching on to Ririka's veiled animosity.

The mercenary tilted her head, curious. "No? They're bandits, right? What's there to expect but a bunch of hairy-chested brutes with axes?"

Naomi raised an eyebrow at Ririka. "What's to expect? They're criminals, yes, but they're people with lives and families. They're just... a little more desperate about how they go about it. Some of them, anyway."

"You know a lot about criminals, then?" Ririka asked.

Naomi was slowly catching on to the catty tone. "Considering I was one, yes. And I hardly think I'm a hairy chested brute. Now, if you please, I think I'd like to walk in peace."

Ririka rolled her eyes and gave up, resisting a harsh comment on the 'chest' bit. 

* * *

With a three-day's march, the bandit fortress came into view on the edge of the River Vaike, the longest river in Esteos. They were only a few days march south of the maelstrom where Estralis once stood. 

The fortress was a crude thing, built of spiked logs and sporting many barricades built of similarly spiked logs. Despite this, it was quite the impressive structure if only for its size, making up the area of a small castle at the very least. Two guards stood at the front gate, each holding an axe in one hand and a mug of honey mead in the other.

"If I may." Daud stated, taking point to spare Isaac of any immediate danger as they went to parley with the bandits. The guards looked at the royal entourage, not amused. 

"We are the party of Prince Isaac Esteos and we seek to speak with the leader of this fortress." Daud stated bluntly. "We come in peace."

One of the guards scoffed. "Oy, and I'm the Queen of Arcymis. Buzz off and we won't fill ye full of arrows; prince or no, ye've no power here."

"Please, we-" Isaac began, not stepping past the figurative line in the sand that Daud had drawn. He was interrupted, however, by Ned.

"Theodore Mortimer. Where is he?" the thief asked. "He is the leader of this shack you call a fortress, right? Tell him Ned is here to see him."

The guards eyes each other and nodded. The one on the left went to open the gate when it began to open from the inside. Out stepped a dark-skinned woman with long black hair, one Ned recognized all too well; his brother's fiancee (and likely wife at this point), Billie. 

"Brother-in-law. It's been too long."


	5. A Shaky Alliance

"Billie." Ned began, his fists tightened. It was because of his brother and this woman that he had spent two years locked up in an Albium prison; he wasn't just about to let that slide. Still, they had a job to do, and he wasn't about to prove himself disloyal by stabbing the bitch right then and there. There would be time for that later, he hoped.

The woman scoffed and then wore an evil grin, trying to put on an air of intimidation. "And what brings such an entourage to our... 'doorstep', hm? Here to kick us out? I fear we're quite entrenched here, and we don't care much for moving."

"Not at all." Isaac clarified.

Billie looked to the prince. "And this is the Prince that's been moving about and driving the foreigners out, hm? Whatever could you need from us?"

"An alliance." Isaac continued, crossing his arms. "You've a good many people in your ranks, we need good blades to help take this land back."

"And what's in it for us?" Billie asked.

The prince cleared his throat. "That's for me to discuss with your leader."

"I suppose you can speak with dearest Ted... Do keep your pet there reined in, however." she replied, looking at Ned. Ned simply spat in her direction.

Thoroughly unamused, Billie begrudgingly turned away and led them into the fortress. It was hardly the scene many of them expected; of course, there were large, musclebound men and women lugging around menacing axes, but there were also families. Young children ran around the grounds, waving around wooden swords and other playthings like any other children would. Cooks surrounded a campfire with a large pot over it, arguing over the ingredients of a soup, while a fletcher was going about perfecting the shafts of a batch of arrows. It was not unlike the average village, save for the excess of makeshift fur clothing and the buildings made of logs.

"They'd make fine millers, that's for certain." spoke Varos, a longtime veteran of the Albium armed forces and a renowned swordmaster who also volunteered to serve the Prince in his campaign. The man had seen much in his time, likely a bandit fort or two, and thus there was little that surprised him anymore.

Billie led the Prince's group up a slope towards a hut with a guarded door. Smoke billowed from the funneled roof. "In we go. Weapons will be left here."

Isaac shot a glare at Billie. "Unacceptable." he stated. "We're not going in unarmed."

"You're the one who's begging for diplomacy. Can't do that with a sword in your hand, can you?" Billie objected. "Weapons out here or you're not going in."

The prince sighed and shook his head. "My bodyguards and I will keep our weapons." he spoke, nodding to Daud and Silas. "The others will disarm. This is my last offer."

Billie raised an eyebrow, and Daud fought back a smirk. He was impressed at Isaac's ability to throw an ultimatum; perhaps Faye wouldn't have to worry about him 'going soft' after all. With a defeated sigh, Billie nodded. "Fine. Bodyguards and the Prince only. The rest of you can lay down your weapons or stay outside."

"Then we'll stay outside." Naomi replied. She didn't trust the lot of them; or at the very least, she did not trust Billie and their yet-unseen leader, Ted. She looked to Isaac and nodded. "Be careful."

Kasumi and Ned were the only ones to disarm and follow the Prince and the other two into the hut. Ned eagerly awaited a chance to meet his brother, while Kasumi needed to be there in the event of strategy discussion. Led in by Billie and two other guards, the Esteans were greeted by a burning hearth in the center of the hut, as well as a throne made of stone where a man resembling Ned sat. He was flanked by two guards on each side of the throne, two of them holding bows and the other two bearing axes. Billie and two guards followed the prince's group in, and Billie went to stand by the throne.

"Ned, brother. Been too long, yes?" Ted called out from his lazy perch atop the stone throne.

"Not nearly long enough." Ned muttered. "Your talk is with the prince; we'll have our little chat after."

Ted nodded. "So be it then. Now, what is it you want? I'm a busy man in charge of many people; as I'm sure you can relate."

"I will speak plainly, sir. We wish for the help of your people in our campaign against the occupants of Esteos." Isaac began. "With reinforcements, I believe we will be able to fight back with greater diligence."

Daud nodded. Isaac was showing his diplomatic education; he didn't speak of such things as 'we need you' or 'we can't do it without you'; he spoke to the bandits as if they could be done without, to make sure that the Esteans were still in a strong bargaining position.

"My lord, I am a businessman." Ted began. "Surely you know this. I deal in many things; war being the least of them."

So this is where he would try to be crafty. Ned had been expecting this; his brother always had a silver tongue.

"So I ask you... what will you be giving me in return?" Ted asked. Isaac noted that he said 'me' and not 'my people'; that much said volumes about the kind of man Ted was.

"Several things." Isaac began. "First of them, land. This is relatively untouched land, rich in trees. You could make your lot here as a county of your own, with work to be had in the lumber industry. You could supply the entire kingdom from here, and thus support yourselves."

Ted laughed. "You sweeten the deal with more work? Keep talking."

"Yes, of course." Isaac continued. "There's the matter of arms; we can supply you with fine weapons made of the strongest steel from the city of Ebonreach."

"Tools to do the dirty work. Hardly seems to be reward to me."

The prince cleared his throat, almost threateningly so. "Lastly... we can grant you and your people amnesty. You are a bandit cloister in the middle of a lawless land. This is not reproachable; once order is restored, however, it will be. I cannot guarantee you will remain in this place for long after I gain the throne. Banditry is a crime, Lord Mortimer. I trust you know this."

Daud couldn't fight the smile anymore. Isaac really did know what he was doing. 

Ted merely leaned forward in his throne, running his hand through his long, messy hair in contemplation. "I have one more thing to add to that list,  _my lord_." he spoke, cracking his knuckles. "I'll agree to your terms... if you throw in Ned as part of the deal."

Isaac quirked an eyebrow, genuinely surprised by the suggestion. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I want my long-lost brother as a prisoner. Bind him, gag him, I don't care. Can't stand loose ends, you know? Surely this isn't a large price for my cooperation, right? A big bandit army to help save those people of yours, can't pass that up." 

The prince shook his head. "Absolutely not." he stated firmly. "Ned has been a valuable asset to us. My offer is final."

Ned was surprised, pleasantly so; he knew Isaac to be the compassionate type, but when Ted had offered a full alliance in exchange for a single prisoner he thought that Isaac would make the sacrifice for the good of the realm. He worried, however, over what Ted' reaction to the prince's refusal of the offer.

Ted grunted, sitting back in his throne. "Then we have nothing more to discuss, good sir. You'll get no help from me, and I'm not about to let such a profitable mark escape my clutches." he spoke, casually inspecting his nails. "Kill them. Except the prince and my dear brother."

"Ted, wait!" Ned shouted, stepping forward despite the fact that he had no weapon. The fact that two men had arrows trained on him didn't help things. "So this is how it's going to be? You riddle them full of arrows and then execute me personally? Haven't we been through enough to warrant something more... significant?"

Isaac, Daud and Silas already had their blades drawn, yet allowed Ned to go through with his attempt to parley.

The bandit chief laughed, his chuckling stopped only by a cough. "You're not suggesting swordplay, right? Forget it, that's hardly fair. You were always overly savvy with the blade, and you couldn't match me with a bow any day. No, I think I'd rather just lop off your head and be done with it."

"I never said anything about weapons, Ted." Ned clarified, removing his gloves and tossing them aside. "Man to man, fist to fist. Just like old times."

"I don't seem to recall our boyish fist-fights being to the death. You're asking me to give up the sure thing and go knock your lights out outside?" 

Ned looked to Daud and Silas. "I wouldn't call this a sure thing. These men have taken on far worse than you."

With a sigh, Ted hopped up from his seat. "Fine. Outside."

* * *

A gathering of the residents of the fort encircled a makeshift 'arena' (simply a circle drawn in the dirt) as the two shirtless brothers stretched in preparation for their bout. 

"Is this truly a good idea?" Isaac muttered in an aside to Kasumi. 

Kasumi nodded. "Bandit organization seems tribal in nature. Leader assumed through show of strength, or simply by deposing disliked leader. Guess is that Ted isn't well liked."

Isaac peered around the gathered group; no children were present, likely having been told by their parents to wait inside the huts. The adults that were present looked on expectantly, almost eagerly. The prince could only assume they wished to see Ted displaced.

"Waited a long time for this." Ned called out, hunching over in a fighting stance. "Two years languishing in prison while you went off and played king. It's about time the tables turned."

"And you think you'd play at the game better?" Ted called back, slowly approaching. "Perhaps not; it seems you've familiarized yourself with playing the king's fool."

Ned immediately swung with a right hook as soon as Ted was in range. The punch was easily dodged, but it sent a statement. This was for real. "It beats sitting in the dungeons. Thanks for that, by the way."

Ted attempted a jab, which Ned was able to sidestep. "Don't act high-and-mighty. You were in on that heist just as I was. I just happened to make the better choices."

"Better?" Ned retorted, gritting his teeth as he slammed his fist into Ted's hip. "You left me to die! Years of scraping by just to survive and that was it?"

Ted backed away, coughing as he pressed a hand to his side. "You're damn right it was. And I'd do it again. Except next time I'd aim better."

Pressing the attack, Ned closed in and threw another hook. Ted ducked under it and headbutted his brother, busting his lip. Ned grunted and wiped his mouth free of blood, angrier than ever. He closed in for a grapple, grabbing Ted by the shoulders. 

"So what? You win and then what?" Ted continued. "You keep going at the beck and call of this lordling? Sit on your bag of gold with your thumb up your nose, just like the bastards we stole from?" 

Ned merely grunted and slipped behind his brother, wrapping his arm around Ted and attempting to lock him in a sleeper hold. "I'll be better than they were. Better than you." he muttered from gritted teeth. 

With a pained shout, Ted elbowed Ned, then turned to catch him in the face with a left hook. Stunned, Ned was open to a follow-up right hook, disorienting him further. He fell back to the ring of spectators, who caught him and shoved him back into the ring. Upon regaining his senses, he put up his fists again, ready for more.

"So, the prison life made you tougher. That's good. More fun to put you down." Ted remarked, confidently striding forward and throwing a careless jab. Ned punished this with a harsh right uppercut, sending Ted stumbling. Ned pursued and tackled Ted to the ground, punching him several times before being thrown off.

Ted was past the point of speaking, the match no longer being so heavily in his favor. The crowd around them cheered at seeing Ted being knocked down a peg, much to his anger. 

"Provide for you bastards and this is the thanks I get..." he mumbled to himself as he again pressed the offensive with a feint and a jab. Ned turned slightly to the left to catch the jab on his right shoulder, then turned hard to hit Ted with a harsh backhand. Ted stumbled yet again, his nose broken and bleeding. With a grunt, Ned rushed forward and grabbed Ted by the waist, lifting him up and slamming his back onto the ground.

Groaning, Ted tried to roll over and get himself up, but was too dazed to do so. Ned approached and pressed his boot on Ted's throat, pinning him on the ground. Through a strained, choked voice, Ted pleaded with his brother. "Ned... Edward... I'm your brother, don't... don't do this!"

"Sorry, brother." Ned replied. "But the heart wants what it wants."

Ted's widened eyes were frozen on his face as Ned crushed his windpipe under his foot. He died within seconds.

 

Billie screamed and ran through the now-cheering crowd, sliding to her knees and lifting Ted's corpse. "Y-you killed him!"

Ned backed away, a sound decision as Billie rushed him almost immediately with a knife. Before Ned could react, the woman was tackled by Isaac, who scrambled to his feet and drew his rapier to point it at her neck. "That's enough!" he shouted, panting largely due to the adrenaline of the act. It was funny to him that after several life-threatening battles, the simple act of tackling someone managed to get the blood pumping. 

"Go ahead then. Just do it." Billie spat, looking at the rapier point. The woman was in tears, obviously forlorn, but she still looked fearful of the blade. Isaac wasn't about to take her life. 

"No." he told her, sheathing his rapier. Ned approached to look down on her, crossing his arms. "Ned, you're the wounded party in this, I assume. What would you have me do?"

Ned sighed. "I'm thinking prison. Two years sounds about right." 

* * *

 

After Billie was dragged away, Isaac took his place in the center of the ring where the fight had taken place. With his sword drawn, he had began giving the remaining bandits a speech to win them over. 

"I ask that you stand with me of your own accord. I would ask no more of any man or woman than they wish to give. I can guarantee each of you amnesty, and land for your families. Work, so that you may have livelihoods once this ghastly chapter of our nation's history is past. I ask that you aid me; help us reclaim, and help us rebuild. What say all of you?" he shouted, raising his sword into the air with his last word.

The crowd raised theirs fists and assorted weapons, letting out a loud cheer. 

"Then without any further ado, I place Ned in command of the 'Mortimer Brigade'. Should you want it." Isaac told Ned, who stood beside him. He offered a sheathed sword in the hand that didn't hold his personal sword; a sheathed sword that symbolically represented the status of the office.

Ned looked down at the sword and saw opportunity. Opportunity to lead the people he saw before them into a better life, and to be a better man than his brother was. He likely wouldn't get an offer in an Albium prison. With a nod, Ned grasped the sword and the sheath, drawing it and raising it high as the crowd roared. 

"Then by my right as prince, I name you Duke Edward of Vaike." Isaac proclaimed, tapping a kneeling Ned on both shoulders with his blade. "This land will be yours to govern as you see fit; you've earned it." 

"I'm honored." Ned spoke plainly. "Though I'd still like to accompany you for the rest of the campaign, if you'll have me." 

Isaac smiled. "I'm glad I didn't have to ask."

* * *

 

"You could peg him for a king by glance." Daud observed, standing next to Kasumi at the front of the crowd. "Faye would be proud."

Kasumi nodded, her hands grasped behind her back. "Yes, diplomacy is his greatest asset. Will serve him well." she began, before noticing the solemn tone in Daud's last statement. "You... you must miss her a great deal." she added, trying her hardest to break her odd speech pattern. 

Daud took a deep breath, waving Reginleif about while admiring the reflection of the sun on its' blade. "I'll cope for the Prince's sake." 

"You... do not have to simply... 'cope' all of the time." Kasumi said. "Can talk about it... may help. Expressing things."

The knight let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, the two most hesitant speakers of the army, talking about feelings. I'll alert the scribes."

Kasumi had a small laugh of her own; the first that Daud had heard. After this, she fell silent. Suddenly, Daud felt a touch on his hand; when he looked to his side, he saw Kasumi, her face beet red, and her eyes closed. She looked as if she were holding her breath, likely to keep herself from shrinking away from holding on to Daud's hand. 

Daud simply smiled, a bit red-faced himself, and shook his head, letting her keep her hand there. For what it was worth, it was nice to have someone who was there. 


	6. The Mages of Arcymis

The outskirts of the twin cities of Ebonreach and Bellhall were quite the sight when dotted with the tents and campfires of the ex-bandits, the newly formed Mortimer Brigade. The townspeople were obviously wary of the new residents of the valley, but in the past day since their arrival there had been no trouble caused.

In any case, things were looking up for Isaac's campaign. As he stared out of the window of his room in Mayor Torm's residence, he could only feel pride in what he and his vassals had put together. They, who only numbered in the hundreds, now commanded a force of several thousand. With the help of volunteer soldiers from the twin cities and various villages, and from the Brigade, their rag-tag group rivaled the size of some of the more orderly armies occupying the realm.

Their strength bolstered, the task now fell upon Isaac and his advisors to decide where they would go next. There were four threats present to them at the moment; the mages of Arcymis, the knights of Indartis, the myriad soldiers of Ormica, and the obscure Abyssnians. Three of the forces were apparent and able to be approached; the question was, which one to attack first?

The question had weighed heavily on the Prince's mind, so much that he refused to lean any particular way until he had heard from his advisors. Differing perspectives would lead to clarity, of this he was sure.

The war council of nearly 15 people met in the office of the city hall as they did every night. Isaac, his eyes glued to a map, awaited for the others to enter the room.

"So, who are we launching fire at first?" Carn asked aloud. Carn was an odd addition to the Estean forces, a dark mage who was one of the vassals lent by King Ghayle. One of the two dark mages of the group, Carn was a tough one to deal with; his off kilter attitude was off-putting to many; however, none could debate his skill in magic. He and his fellow dark mage, Gale, both earned the ire of the more cautious members of Isaac's inner circle; particular the magic-wary Daud. 

Daud rolled his eyes and looked to Kasumi, who began to speak despite her slightly red face. "Three forces, three bases. Ormica in southeast, Arcymis in southwest directly south of us, and Indartis in east. Will have to take care of one at a time; maybe take advantage of Ormica and Arcymis close proximity, go after Indartis first." 

Shaking his head, Daud pointed to the area that Arcymis occupied. "The presence of the mages here is weak, but it's still fortified. They command Fort Gilliam, the most fortified structure in Esteos that still stands. They recently took it from Ormica, who is looking to retake it. Should we take care of Indartis first, either they would hold on to the fort or the Ormicans would capture it. Knowing that Fort, I"d wager the former would happen. The fort is legendary for a reason."

"So you would have us take the impenetrable fort? Throw ourselves at it and hope it all works out?" Silas asked, a little skeptical of the plan. He was always one to believe in 'offense is the best defense'.

"Of course not." Daud replied. "The fort has been under siege from the Ormicans for quite some time now. If we were to take advantage of that, perhaps..."

Varos let out a small chuckle from the corner of the room, where he stood near his 'pupil' in the ways of the sword, Gale. "I've never seen a force so adept at taking advantage of a turned back. Where is the honor in such a thing? Our stunt in Bellhall was enough, was it not?"

"With all due respect, master Varos," Carn shot back, crossing his arms. "We hardly have the strength to run headfirst into every enemy we see. Not unless we throw more fire at them."

"I hate to say that I agree with the mage." Daud said. "Honor is fine and good until it gets good men killed in a foolhardy mad rush. I'm not saying we take the cowards route and do something like starve them out, but I can't say I agree with a frontal assault."

Varos crossed his arms. "Then let us fight Indartis first. They've no fort the caliber of Fort Gilliam, yes?"

Kasumi shook her head. "Indartis owns mostly mining land in the east. Very interested in mineral wealth of the land. Few forts, many villages." 

"In any case, whatever course we choose, we will end up assaulting Gilliam sooner or later." reasoned Cael. An archer from Daud's hometown and son of said town's mayor, Cael was a skilled shot and a philanderer with a flirtatious streak to match Silas'. The man was a coward as well, which made his choice to assist the prince in battle an odd one. One could only guess that his cowardice was the reason he chose the bow. "Why not sooner when we have a better chance with the chaos going on?"

"Can't help but agree." Kasumi said, nodding. "Easier to take the fort, use to prevent additional entry into countryside, perhaps."

Cael smiled and bowed. "And the beautiful Kasumi agrees. I knew I saw something in you."

Kasumi coughed. "Maybe leave Cael at the fort too."

Isaac nodded. "I am convinced. If we take the fort now, we will spare ourselves trouble later, and gain an important asset that will help us in the future. More fortifications won't hurt. We attack Arcymis."

Varos let out a grunt and nodded. "Very well, milord." he conceded, leaning back against the wall. 

"Best we set out in the morning, then." Daud told the prince. "It's a day's march at most. With luck, the fort will be ours."

* * *

 

The Estean company made good time, finding themselves camped a short ways away from Fort Gilliam just as the moon had reached its peak in the sky. The fort's towers could be seen over the treeline in the distance, remaining quiet and still. The Ormicans weren't attacking at the moment, it seemed. 

Isaac walked the grounds of the camp, curious as to the whereabouts of his companions. Anxious about the upcoming attack, he could hardly sleep. He looked up at the stars for a moment, caught by their beauty.

His gazing was interrupted by the sound of beating feet. "Isaac!" called out a voice, which Isaac recognized as Naomi's. He turned around and saw her jogging forward with a young girl at her side. The red-headed girl appeared to be a teenager, no younger than 16, and was dressed in relatively finery. Naomi placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to begin. "We found her on the outskirts of camp, knocked out and left for dead. She can tell her story better than I can."

Isaac looked at the girl with concern. The healers had obviously worked on her, but she still showed a few bruises and cuts. She was more than just hurt; she was obviously tired, and likely hungry as well "Just a moment. What is your name? Do you have somewhere to sleep tonight?"

The girl, obviously intimidated by Isaac's rank, gulped and began to speak. "W-well, my name is Vesper, sir. I'm a bard who in service of the Voice, and..."

The mention of 'The Voice' alerted Isaac. Tales of The Voice of Naga were supposedly just that; tales, those that spoke of a woman of draconic blood who shared a direct link with the Divine Dragon, Naga. Many would praise her name, but none actually knew whether or not she existed. Still, Isaac's concern was for the girl's well-being before anything. "Answer the question, please. Do you have anywhere to sleep tonight?" 

Vesper shook her head slowly. "No sir. Er, no, my lord." 

"Then come with us. We'll get you taken care of before anything."

 

* * *

Vesper was given a blanket and a hot bowl of soup, allowed to sleep in Naomi's tent for the night. The girl easily wolfed down the soup, as if she hadn't eaten in days.

"So, Vesper. Tell us why you're here." 

The young bard took a deep breath and nodded. "Like I said earlier... My name is Vesper, and I accompanied the Voice of Naga. I'm the latest in my family to do so... we've served her for generations. She and her servants have lived in a small, cloistered grove for a long time in the western reaches of this land, but when the city sank, my lady began falling ill... and then suddenly men in green began patrolling the immediate area. We couldn't hide for long until the men found and captured us."

Naomi looked to the prince. "Green uniforms. Ormica?"

"Has to be. Vesper, this may be an odd question, but... were there any fish-men with the men in green?" Isaac asked.

Vesper's eyes widened. "How did you know?" 

"We've had a run-in with such a creature recently. How did you escape, Vesper?" the prince continued.

The red-haired girl fidgeted and and produced a small, green orb from her pocket. "The men in green held us for a while at the castle, but then the men in purple took the fort. My lady is still held there, as are my friends, but I was able to slip away and recover milady's stone. I ran as far as I could but... my wounds didn't let me go very far until the men in blue found me."

"She means us." Naomi clarified. "They brought her to me as soon as they found her. I was the nearest officer." 

"She was very nice to me." Vesper pointed out, nudging closer to Naomi. "As you have, sir. My lord. Sorry." 

Isaac shook his head. "Don't worry, 'sir' is fine. Are your friends still at the fort?"

Vesper nodded. "They are still there, yes. The men in green have been keeping the men in purple busy, so they haven't had much time to pay attention to them... I worry they are hungry and thirsty... like I was."

Isaac placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, Vesper. We're going to charge the fort tomorrow and do our best to recover your friends. Get some rest and let us take care of things, alright?"

The young girl nodded, obviously exhausted. "Alright... wh-what can I call you, sir?"

"Isaac." the prince replied. "Titles are pretty things, but they have their place. For now, stay with Naomi and get some rest." he said, standing up and preparing to leave the tent. "Naomi, will you be alright taking care of her?"

The thief nodded. "Yes, but... where are you going?" 

"I'm going inform Daud and the others. We're going to move sooner than I thought. I'll not leave the Voice and the others to die down there."


	7. The Siege of Fort Gilliam

With the young Vesper in tow, the Esteans began their advance on Fort Gilliam once they saw that the Ormicans had begun their siege for the day. Vesper had insisted on tagging along and not staying behind, insisting that her music would be a source of inspiration like the battle-bards of old; her true intentions, however, were made by the bag full of food slung over her back. Isaac couldn't help but smile.

Once in range, Isaac turned towards his followers. "Catapults on my command! Carn, Gale, you know what to do." he shouted, raising his sword and slicing it forward to command the catapults to begin firing.

As the catapult stones were hurled into the air, Carn and Gale muttered incantations and focused on the tomes in their hands, launching clouds of fire into the air that lit the stones aflame. The Arcymians within the fort were surprised by the flaming stones coming from the opposite direction of the Ormicans; panicked shouts and commands began ringing out as they scrambled to man the defense on both sides.

Duncan stepped forward and waved his emerald-tipped staff through the air, fortifying the group against physical force to aid them in case arrows were to strike them.

Isaac took a deep breath and watched more flaming catapult stones rocketed over the walls, while others slammed into the fortifications themselves.

As the walls began to weaken, the portcullis that barred entry from the inside of the fort opened. Three men atop black horses strode forward, followed by men clad in robes. The mounted man at the head of the group, a Dark Knight by the look of him, threw his arm out as a signal, then thrust it forward. The small company opened up the tomes in their hands and loosed a hail of fireballs into the air that burst once attaining a great height, watching them fall towards the Esteans like flaming raindroplets.

"Away from the trees! Quickly!" Isaac ordered, running forward with his men. The flames were nearly upon them; Isaac could only hope they made it out of the vicinity in time. All the while, he could hear a flute ringing out a rousing tune; Vesper's work, no doubt; that urged him to run faster than his legs would normally allow.

Prepared for such a tactic, however, Gale stood his ground and produced a green tome, throwing his hand into the air and producing a strong gust of wind. Waving his hand in circular motions, Gale caught the fire droplets in the air and began swirling them into a flaming disc. "Carn!" he shouted, concentrating hard on the difficult task of controlling the wind. Carn nodded and ran over, using his own green tome to assist in the shaping of the disc of fire.

Together, the two mages launched it forward, sending it straight for the comapny of mages whom had tried to prepare their own countermeasure to the disc; too late, however, as the disc collided with them and erupted into a shower of flames. Those that weren't seared and killed ran away, trying to look for something to put the fire out.

Daud grumbled as he stepped forward. He still didn't like magic, but even he couldn't dismiss the result. The two mages fell to their knees, exhausted by the exertion. "Charge!" he shouted, thrusting Reginleif forward and striding with the other soldiers, his massive armor slowing his speed but not his ferocity.

Naomi and Vesper stood close to Isaac as they entered the main courtyard of Fort Gilliam, accompanied by Silas. "Where to, Isaac?" Silas asked, his blade drawn as he scanned their immediate surroundings.

Daud and the other soldiers had caught the brunt of the fierce response, but they were handling it quite well thanks to Duncan's earlier intervention.

"Vesper?" Isaac asked, looking to the short girl.

Looking around, Vesper pointed to a nearby door with her flute. "In there." she said. Isaac nodded and rushed forward, allowing the soldiers to keep the attention of the Arcymis forces so that he and the others could rescue the Voice.

* * *

The dungeons were obviously shook up by the combined siege of two forces, with items all sorts being scattered about the floor. 

"Be ready. Likely to be guards stationed as we go deeper into the dungeons." Isaac reasoned. They passed through the bunk rooms and into the kitchen, searching for some stairs. They found a two prepared guards instead; an arrow immediately flew at them.

"Isaac, look out!" Silas shouted, pushing the prince away and taking the arrow for him in the shoulder. Duncan's spell likely cost him grievous injury, but the arrow still stuck. "Rrgh, son of a bitch!" he shouted, dropping his sword from his right hand. 

Isaac had already rushed forward and sliced the hands of the bowman before he could ready another arrow. Naomi fell upon the other guard, slicing his exposed neck as Isaac ran the other guard through. The two fell to the ground, lifeless.

Vesper merely stood, speechless, as she held a shaky grip on her sword. "That... that was fast." she muttered weakly. 

"It'll happen again; I'm sorry you had to see that, but it's an unfortunate part of what our goal entails." Isaac said, trying to reassure her. "Silas, are you alright?"

The myrmidon nodded, getting up and taking his sword in his left, non-dominant hand. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Let's keep going down."

The prince nodded and lead the group to the newly-discovered stairs, entering the dungeons proper. There were a few empty cells, and no guards. The only light sources were the torches on the wall.

"Not here. A little deeper down." Vesper told them.

"How did you get out of here, Vesper?" Naomi asked, tightening her grip on her sword. "This place seems so... closed in."

Vesper fell silent for a moment. "There was... a lot of fighting. I had to take a sword and fight back against anyone who saw me. I couldn't win in a fair fight, but I could get them from behind... make it quick so I could escape. It didn't always work."

"Ah... I'm sorry I asked." Naomi replied, clearing her throat. "What matters is that you're safe. And we'll find your friends." 

Vesper nodded, a smile returning to her face. Isaac lamented her position; she was far too innocent for all of this. All the more reason to end things as soon as possible. 

The group descended another group of stairs, making their way to the final level of the dungeons. As they entered, they caught the eye of the lone guard; a man in plate that trumped even Daud's in size and decorum. An Arcymian Guardian, to be sure; a defensive warrior of the highest caliber, and likely to be a formidable (if not insurmountable) opponent.

"Shit." Silas muttered, holding his sword awkwardly in his left hand.

"Well. It appears that I won't be waiting out the siege in this hole after all." the Guardian spoke. "Judging by the look of you, you must be the prince. And you, little lamb... the one who got away, no? Ah, luck has favored me this day. I am Berthold the Defender, and today, I crush the prince of Esteos with my own two hands!" 

The man strode forward with a slow pace, a menacing hammer held in his hand. Isaac wasn't sure how to proceed; they had only a rapier and three swords at their disposal, and none of them were particularly hard hitters. Berthold was a seemingly impossible opponent to deal with, but they would have to no matter the odds. 

Silas took the first step, urging Berthold to attack him. Attack he did, which Silas sidestepped with grace. Berthold didn't seem phased by the look of his body movements; with his face concealed by a helmet, he was hard to read.

Isaac approached next, unable to find chinks in the massive plate that stood between him and his opponent's body. He still lashed out with a strike, yet it was deflected by the armor like a stone skipping on a frozen lake. 

"Is this the full might the prince can bring to bear, truly?" spoke Berhtold, laughing as he swung his hammer at Isaac. The prince backed away, barely avoiding the blow that ended up shattering the tiles on the dungeon floor. 

Naomi looked around for anything that could help their struggle, but only found that Vesper was no longer behind her. "Vesper!?" she called out in alarm, only to see the red-haired girl rushing past Berthold towards one of the cells, the strange green orb in her hand.

"My lady!" she shouted, tossing the green orb into the cell. What was behind the bars was beyond the sight of the other three Esteans, but whatever happened seemed to upset Berthold.

"You! What are you doing?" he shouted, turning and approaching her as quickly as he could. 

Vesper merely looked at the walking fortress of a man, smirking. Berthold raised his hammer to strike her, but was blown away by an explosion of brilliant light. The bars of the cell fell to the ground, and out stepped a magnificent, glittering dragon of fuchsia. 

Isaac had never laid eyes upon the draconic form of a manakete before (or the normal form of one, for that matter); he hadn't expected the seahorse-like features that the creature possessed. In the stories he was always told that dragons were massive things of rigid scales and spikes, yet the sight before him was one of grace and beauty, not ferocity. 

"Away with you!" spoke the manakete in a voice that echoed around the room, opening its mouth and letting forth a torrent of brilliant white fire that glittered with all the colors of the rainbow, as if it was being viewed through a prism. Berthold tried to stand his ground, holding up his arms in protest, yet the manakete's intense fire roasted him in his armor. The man fell backwards, dead. 

With her fight over, the manakete drifted to the ground and shone with a bright light as she reverted back to her normal, 'human' form. She was a girl even shorter than Vesper, dressed in a white blouse that was accented by a red cape that draped barely past the shoulderblades. The girl herself had black hair that had the slightest tint of purple. Her haircut was almost perfectly rounded, yet had a single strand of hair that stood up almost defiantly and curved to the side. 

"I... thank you." the manakete spoke. "Had you not brought Vesper back, I would have never gotten my dragonstone back. My name is Nah, and I am the Voice of Naga." 

Isaac immediately fell to one knee in reverence, followed by Silas and Naomi. He wasn't particularly devout; organized religion was all but nonexistent on the continent of Castradea, after all; but he still paid reverence to Naga. The presence of healing magic and the like was proof of her existence, in any case; only believers could utilize such magic. 

"My lady, it is an honor." Isaac spoke. "I am thankful we were able to get to you in time."

Nah shook her head. "Please, rise. I don't care for the reverence thing too much... you can simply call me Nah." 

"I... Forgive me, but I fear I cannot. At least allow me to refer to you as 'my lady'." Isaac reasoned. 

With a sigh, Nah crossed her arms. "Very well. Might I have your name before I start melting bars?" 

"Um... Isaac, my lady. Prince Isaac of Esteos."

"Is that what they call the nation these days? Such odd names." Nah replied, gripping the green orb that Vesper had given her and returning to her dragon form. "Just a moment."

Nah proceeded to use a gentler form of her breath to melt the bars on some of the other cells, releasing three other people. One was a stout man with a grand brown beard, flanked by a young man with a blindfold on his face and a relatively tall woman with long, purple hair.

Vesper looked around. "I see Thormund, Landon, and Lizeth, but... Where is Farrah?" 

Nah reverted to her human form. "I'm sorry, Vesper." she muttered, her head hanging. "She succumbed to her hunger not long after you left."

"Oh..." Vesper muttered, hanging her head as well.

The bearded man stepped forward. "Lord Isaac, yes? Thormund, guardian to the voice. My axe is yours, provided I can find one, so long as you protect the voice." 

"Landon here." spoke the blindfolded man. "I am also at your service for the time being, provided I find a tome somewhere."

"And I am Lizeth." spoke the tall woman. "Find me a lance and mayhaps a steed, and I am yours."

Isaac bowed respectfully. "I am glad to hear it. Will you and your protectors help us take this fort, milady? That was the initial reason we came here until we found Vesper."

"It has been some time since I got to stretch my wings in such a way. I may be a little under the weather... But I think I can help for now." Nah replied. "For now, let us work together. I'm tired of captors." 

* * *

Daud ran another enemy soldier through with Reginleif. Despite his massive armor, he could wield the lance like it weighed less than a pound. The enemies had grown to fear him and the fearsome weapon he held, and were beginning to give up ground.

Still, the sight of the large man with the golden lance were nothing to compare with the sight of a dragon taking flight from within the courtyard and raining glittering flames over all over the opposing Arcymians and Ormicans alike. Accompanying her out of the dungeons was the now-hammer-toting Thormund, the blind sage Landon, and the mountless paladin Lizeth. Their charge threw yet another wrench into the defensive strategy of the Arcymis forces, all the while a flute played almost tauntingly above the din of combat. Within minutes, the Estean flag was raised over the fort's grounds, and both the Arcymis and Ormica forces were driven away. After all, how would one compete with a dragon?

"This will likely be the last we see of Arcymis, at least in such a large force, for some time." Isaac spoke as he walked forward to the center of the courtyard, Nah floating slightly behind him as she reverted back to her normal form. 

Daud stood in a state of slight shock, unsure of what to think about the fact that a manakete had literally won the battle for them. "I... I had heard the Prince speak of the Voice, but I didn't truly... W-well... my lady, it is an honor." he began, falling to one knee as did the others in the courtyard. 

The most extreme reaction predictably came from Duncan, who fell to both of his knees and bowed to the ground. "Most high Voice of Naga, I am your humble servant..." he began, unsure of where to go with his words of praise.

Nah simply rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, get it out of your system." she muttered as she looked on at the dozens of men and women falling to their knees in reverence. She couldn't help but smile, having not had contact with many humans save for her personal entourage for some time. 

"Lady Nah, the Voice of Naga, has helped us win this battle today." Isaac announced. "I ask that you treat her and her retainers with the respect one of her station deserves." Turning to Nah, he spoke a bit quieter. "Lady Nah, where will you go? Is your home no longer safe?"

Nah sighed and put a hand to her chin. "Truthfully, I doubt it. I would like you to explain the situation of the land before..." she began, letting out a bit of a cough before continuing. "...before I make a decision."

"Of course." Isaac replied. "We will make room for you at the camp as we move it to the fort, my lady."

The Voice nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Lu- Isaac." she said, turning to join Vesper and the others. The Esteans returned to their camp, leaving a token force to guard the newly-captured fort.

 


	8. The State of the Land

The Esteans were able to successfully move their camp into and around the fort's grounds. Once there the men got to work in repairing some of the damages made by both the Esteans and the Ormicans, as well as cleaning out the casualties. It was a nasty business, but it had to be done.

Nah had requested to meet with the prince privately, and so he complied by joining her on the ramparts as the sun began to set. She looked upon it with a smile on her face, turning when Isaac approached. "Hello, Isaac. Thank you for coming to meet me."

"It's a pleasure, my lady." Isaac replied. "You wished to speak to me?"

Nah nodded. "I trust you have questions, yes?"

"Many, yes." Isaac confessed. "I've heard your name in the Ylissean sagas, and... I'm a little confused. All the scholars are. I had assumed you weren't even real; just a figure from the legends."

Nah let out a small chuckle. "Is that what you think of all the heroes of old?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "Isaac, there are many realms and times out beyond the grasp of your world. The world I hail from is one of such."

"But... travelling through time?" Isaac asked.

"Yes, of course." Nah replied. "There were three 'Nahs', Isaac. The one who traveled back in time with Lucina, the one who lived as a baby in the time that Lucina traveled to, and the one who remained with the Lucina who was unable to travel back in time. Lucina's decision was what created two different 'outrealms'; I was the Nah who accompanied the Lucina who did not travel back in time."

"But..." Isaac began, not sure how to phrase his question properly. "Was not Lucina's time travel the act that saved you all from the Fell Dragon? Should you not be... dead?"

Nah shook her head. "Lucina's intervention allowed her father, Chrom, and his soldiers to change many events in their world. It allowed me to meet Nah and Donnel, my parents. It also opened the Outrealm gate, and allowed them to travel to our world. Through her actions, Chrom was able to repay the favor of his daughter by traveling to our time and saving us from Grima. That is how I lived."

"But how did you come to be here? How long ago must this have been?"

The Voice sighed, trying to recall. "It... must have been fifteen hundred years hence. Once my friends all passed from age, I felt truly alone in the world. Their children were fine company, of course, but... I longed for something that I could no longer have. So I left. I traveled the Outrealms for a time, observing great battles and finding many people of legend to be real. Ike of the Tellius saga, Eliwood and Hector of the legends of Elibe... All very real, all very human. Yet, there was one realm I visited, one quite isolated and untouched, that I grew attached to."

Isaac tilted his head. "Was it...?"

"Your world, Isaac. I truly can't explain just why it drew me in so, but when I entered, I couldn't help but stay. And when I did, Naga spoke to me, praising my decision. Yet I couldn't bring myself to reveal my true nature to the people until she were to instruct me to. My very purpose is to heed Naga's words, after all; and she insisted that the men and women of your world be able to act without divine guidance." Nah continued. "So, several hundred years ago, after the barbarians finished their wars, I gathered a few discrete followers and retired to the mountains of this land you call Esteos, and lived there for most of my days, with their descendants taking up their posts throughout the generations. It was so peaceful, until..."

"Until the city of Estralis sank."

Nah nodded, a frown on her face. "Yes. I can't describe the pain I felt in my heart when Naga cried out in sorrow on that day. On that day I began to fall ill as well, sickened perhaps by Naga's anguish. It's in my best interest to see this land restored, you see."

"I understand. Does this mean you will help us, my lady?"

Nah crossed her arms. "Before I answer that, let me pose you a question." she stated, with a lecturing tone of voice. "Why do you fight this war against your fellow man? For land, for power and status? Why are you doing this?"

Isaac shook his head. "This is my home. People lived peaceful lives here, and their lives were robbed from them. I seek only to rebuild, yet the other nations seek to utilize the chaos to expand upon their own interests. I want to act for my people."

Nah nodded in silence, then smiled. "So you act with a noble heart. Keep that close, Isaac." she told him, uncrossing her arms. "Very well. I will help you, though you shouldn't expect more than advice from me. Transforming is taxing enough without a sickness plaguing your being."

"Of course, my lady. I could ask no more." the prince replied, bowing respectfully. "Actually... may I ask one last thing?"

"Yes, of course you can." Nah replied. "What is it?"

Isaac cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "What does Naga tell you about the sunken city? Who was behind such a heinous act?"

Nah frowned. "I'm sorry, Isaac, but I have no answers for you. My connection with Naga is not a simple one of questions and answers. I don't truly hear audible words; not often, anyway... And Naga is by no means omnipotent. If you were to find a focus, an artifact blessed by her, it would be possible for me to commune with her directly, or to channel her. She would perhaps be able to glean the nature of the disaster, but I doubt she knows who is truly behind it."

Isaac nodded, feeling a little defeated. The word of Naga was potentially his big break on the mystery of the person who sunk his home and killed those he loved. "I know of such an artifact, my lady. The legends tell of it, anyway. A sword, by the name of Curtana, said to be blessed by Naga herself."

"I see." Nah said. "And where do the legends place this sword?"

"Well... Long ago when Indartis warred with Esteos, it was said to be the blade of my ancestor, Esteos the Great. Though the nation of Esteos won the war, the man Esteos was slain by the lord of Indartis, a man by the name of Gorion. Where Esteos was a devout man who sang praises to Naga, Gorion was a cynic who saw it fitting to wield the blessed blade to mock the gods. It still resides in Indartis, supposedly the symbol of the office of Judge Magister, but this is only rumor."

Nah shrugged. "It may be worth looking into acquiring this sword. Naga would be of great help to us, in any case. It's up to you, however. I wager we'll be fighting these men from 'Indartis' at some point, right?"

"Yes." Isaac replied. "They have the strongest presence here, mostly situated in the east. However, it is with the nation of Ormica that we have seen the fish-men; our tactician Kasumi has named them the 'Abyssnians'."

"Then Abyssnians they shall be..." Nah began, trailing off into thought for a moment. "Very well, Isaac. You have my help and my respect. My retainers are at your disposal; please use them to their fullest."

"We will, my lady." Isaac replied. "This I swear to you."

Nah smiled and bowed to Isaac. "Then I will take my leave. I'm feeling quite tired... perhaps a nap. How I missed the feeling of staying in a camp!"


	9. Estean Support Log: Entry 1

It was the perfect plan; a single rose on the top of a barrel awaiting just outside of the Prince's room in the fort, where he was sure to walk by at some point within the night. He was currently off speaking with the voice, but Ririka could bide her time as she hid behind a door, spying in on the entryway where her plan would unfold.

It was such a perfect plan that Ririka was shocked when Naomi strode up to the door and caught her eye on the rose resting atop the barrel. Ririka seemed to have forgotten that other people were capable of entering the entryway. Many needed to see the prince, after all.

"Oh, look at that." Naomi muttered to herself, picking up the flower and smiling. All the thorns clipped, it was obviously a gift and not a randomly plucked flower. Naomi could only guess at the rose's origin; a gift left for the prince, or set aside by him to be given? She silently hoped for the latter, of course. Her affection for the prince was no secret to the more observant members of the Estean company; and of course, Isaac was oblivious to matters that didn't involve stately etiquette and oratory skills. Or, so Naomi had thought.

"Ah, Naomi." Isaac called out as he entered, likely heading to his room to retire for the evening. Ririka's heart raced; she couldn't just barge in, nor could she leave, and so she had to sit there and watch the mess she created unfold. "What do you have there?" the prince asked, standing next to his friend.

Naomi looked down at the rose. If he knew about the rose, then he was lying about it very well, and lying wasn't his strong suit. No, it was likely left for him by someone else. Naomi, not normally the overly deceptive type, decided to do something rather catty. "Oh, this? It's a rose. I... thought you would like it." she stammered, holding it up. "I know it's not normally a gift to give a grown man, but... this fort is awfully dingy, not built for beauty, so I figured maybe... you'd enjoy a little decoration."

"Nonsense, any man with an eye for art and beauty would appreciate such a gift." Isaac replied, smiling as he took the flower. "Thank you, Naomi. I hesitate to wonder what I'd do without the small touches you add to make everyone more comfortable."

"Of course. It's what I do." she replied, smiling and holding her arms out for a hug. Isaac stepped forward and embraced her, patting her back and then letting go. "Sleep well, Isaac. See you tomorrow."

Isaac nodded, his face a tad red, and entered his room to head to bed for the night. Naomi stood still for a moment, then thrust her fist into the air out of celebration of her small 'victory'. A small giggle accompanied the gesture, completing Naomi's little flair before she turned away to leave.

Ririka immediately dashed away from the door she was hiding behind to intercept the thief, catching her just as she stepped foot onto the ramparts.

"Oh, Riri, hello." Naomi offered in greetings, giving a small wave. The blush in her cheeks had yet to recede.

Ririka placed her hands on her hips. "You think you're so clever, don't you?" she asked accusingly, huffing at the end of her question.

"What are you..." Naomi asked before realization struck her. "Oh! You were the one who left the rose!" she exclaimed.

"Quiet down!" Ririka replied, trying not to shout. "Yes, and you had no right to claim it as your own! You've got an unfair advantage!"

Naomi was taken aback, obviously quite a bit offended. "An advantage? You're treating how Isaac feels as a game?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips in direct opposition to Ririka. "Act like an adult, why don't you? This isn't some silly love triangle; Isaac is a dear friend and I... well, it's not so easily explained."

"Like an adult? Says the girl who stole the rose!" Ririka exclaimed, having to hush herself up to keep their little argument out of Isaac's earshot. "This isn't over." she muttered darkly, pointing from her eyes to Naomi's before walking away.

"Isn't it? It feels like it is!" Naomi taunted, having to compose herself before she said anything more hurtful. She knew the girl was simply infatuated and that she had nothing to worry about, but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of possessiveness when it came to the prince. How could she not, having known him most of her life?

The thief shook her head and continued her walk across the ramparts. She had completely forgotten where she had pitched her tent.

* * *

 

The night was still relatively young; those going to bed were the ones that were the most tired from the recent battle. Others still full of energy, such as Silas, were out doing chores, socializing, or as the young myrmidon was doing; practicing. With a blunt practice sword, Silas was hard at work whittling away at a wooden training dummy. His performance against the Guardian in the dungeons was completely unacceptable, and he would have to perform better despite the fact that he was relying on his non-dominant arm. He was quite dedicated to his best friend Isaac, after all, and hated to disappoint.

"Having trouble there?" called a voice, one Silas vaguely recognized. He turned to see Cael stepping forward. Silas hadn't had any chance to interact with the man throughout their campaign. He had no reason to, even in battle, as they played very different roles. 

 "There something you want?" Silas asked dismissively. All he knew of Cael was that he was a coward, but most importantly, quite the philanderer; truthfully Silas was little different in the latter regard, but more wooing going around meant more competition, and he would have none of it. 

Cael cleared his throat. "You're not familiar with fighting with your left arm, it seems." he observed. 

"Never had to." Silas replied, swinging deftly and with strength. He was still unable to string together a flurry of moves without stumbling a bit. "That's what practice is for." 

"Most indeed, my good man." Cael replied, drawing his bow. "You know, I hear tell that noble duelists often teach themselves to fight with their left hands, that they may surprise their opponent by switching hands mid-duel. There any truth to that?"

Silas continued his swinging. "For some, maybe." he replied between grunts and defiant shouts. "It depends on the man. Not every noble is some pompous waif toting a top hat and a monocle."

"Oh, so I assumed." Cael replied. "I just... wouldn't have pegged you for a noble."

Immediately dropping his practice, Silas turned towards the archer. "Seriously? You came to tell me that?" he asked with exasperation in his voice. "My father served House Esteos since before he could lift a blade. His father crafted blades for kings. His father before him was a knight of legend. I've the pedigree if that's what you're after. How I choose to display what I've learned is my own business.

The archer threw his hands up. "I merely meant that you are quite different than I had expected." he pleaded. "Truly, I've always fancied a noble life. Living in a village turns dull very quickly, you know."

"Well, it's not all powdered wigs and servants feeding you grapes. There's work, and all I wanted to do was swing a sword. The only reason I stayed around is because of Isaac." Silas replied. "He has a like for all this noble stuff; ask him about it. If you want to learn which end of the sword is the pointy one, then I can help you."

Cael was taken aback by Silas' words. Without another sound, he raised his bow, aimed and fired, his arrow striking the training dummy between the eyes and knocking it over. Silas turned in surprise, just as Cael was leaving. 

"Well, I'll be." Silas muttered, looking down at the dummy. "Maybe there's something under the cowardice after all..."

* * *

 

With mortar and pestle in hand, Ned kept his hands busy to try and distract himself from his thoughts; it wasn't working. All he had to do was look outside the small hole in the wall of the tower he was nestled in to spy upon the vast amount of tents housing soldiers; the black flag being flown above some of the tents indicated that they were of his 'brigade'; they were under 'Duke Edward's control.

Duke Edward. Ned had trouble processing the name. For years he and his brother stole from the well-off to support themselves, and now he would be one of those better-offs. 

He had already sworn to do his utmost to make sure that no one under his jurisdiction would have to resort to petty thievery just to get by. Even if it meant sacrificing his own personal wealth to do so, he would do it in a heartbeat. He would be better than them. 

Ned wondered how many nobles with good intentions told themselves the same thing, and then ended up prey to the habits of greed. 

With a frustrated groan, Ned placed aside the mortar and pestle to get some air. Just as he did, a flash of white raced by and into the air. It seemed Alora was riding her pegasus about the grounds of the fort. Seeing as the enemies holding the fort before were mostly mages, it was incredibly dangerous for her to be in the air with so much wind magic being at the disposal of the enemies. The woman was likely just allowing the poor animal to get some exercise. 

Ned watched for a moment, finding himself decently distracted from the unpleasant thoughts in his head. The pegasus was a creature of beauty and grace, something he could respect. 

Alora landed gently upon the ramparts, patting her mount on the head as it trotted slowly. "Hello, Ned." she called out, hopping off the pegasus. "A bit of a lonely night to be out wandering the ramparts, no?" 

"Just trying to get my head clear." Ned replied. "It's not working." 

Alora solemnly nodded. "I can imagine. I'm sorry that the business with your brother turned so sour." 

"Funnily enough, how that turned out is the good part of this situation. No, I'm bothered by the people. Having to take care of them." Ned replied as he rubbed his temples. "I stole things to keep myself alive. What does it say about myself if any of my people turn away to thievery because they have no choice? Wonderful irony, the Thief-Duke of Vaike robbed by his own subjects."

"Then it seems you have a goal to meet." Alora replied. "When you were young, there was no one there to motivate you to do anything else, was there?"

"What? No. What does that have to do with anything?" 

Alora pointed to all the tents. "All of these people, especially the ones under your banner, came here and stayed because Isaac spoke to their hearts. He gave them hope, a goal. You will just have to do the same for your people once this war is over." 

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the speech-making type."

"You care for your people, yes?"

Ned sighed and conceded. "Of course. They're men and women trying to keep themselves and their families alive, no matter what. I'm quite familiar with their situation." 

"Then you'd best learn the speech-making." Alora told him with a smile. "You can't challenge your people and then not challenge yourself, right?" 

The thief merely sighed, yet smiled when he looked back at Alora. "You sound like Isaac."

"Well, I've learned a thing or two from him. I hope you can too." she replied, hopping back on her pegasus and taking off into the night sky, likely to take one more trip around the skies above the grounds before bed.

Ned took a deep breath and descended the ramparts to the grounds, heading to his own tent for the night. "Perhaps I already have." he muttered to himself as he went on his way.


	10. Promotions

Upon securing the surrounding lands of Fort Gilliam and leaving an adequate force to defend it, Isaac's company returned triumphantly to the city of Ebonreach where they were greeted at the gates by applause. Isaac could hardly contain his smile. His people were backing him, and such a thing was quite humbling. 

Walking beside him was a hooded Nah, who was as of yet still a bit wary of revealing herself to the world. So many years in the company of a select few must have affected the half-manakete in many ways. Hopefully, spending time among people in Isaac's company would loosen her up a bit.

Mayor Torm personally greeted the Prince upon his return. "Lord Isaac, you've done much for us, and it's time we return the favor." he said, smiling.

"I appreciate as such, Mayor Torm, but you've done plenty enough in keeping us supplied. I couldn't ask for more." Isaac pleaded, trying to stay humble.

The Mayor, however, would not accept 'no' for an answer. "Nonsense. Please, allow us just these gifts; I conferred with your tactician upon the specifics. She insists the gifts will be helpful."

Isaac looked back at Kasumi, who simply smiled and waved.

"Bring your close officers, those you came with, and meet at the courtyard of my estate." Torm asked. "I trust you will be most pleased."

The prince nodded. "Very well. Thank you, Mayor."

* * *

Isaac entered the courtyard with several of his vassals in tow, not including the new arrivals in Nah's company (whom all went to secure their lady comfortable lodgings within the estate). There were several objects shrouded in cloth, their nature hidden. 

"Please allow me to present the finest work our craftsmen have to offer. The smiths of Ebonreach have convened with the artists of Bellhall to bring this superior line of arms and armor to the Prince and the heroes that accompany him. All measurements and specifications were generously given by the accomplished tactician, Lady Kasumi."

The Prince wondered just how Kasumi had acquired their measurements; it would be a question to save for later, after they received their gifts.

Mayor Torm stepped to the first object, placing his hand upon the cloth. "Our first set is fittingly the one that Lady Kasumi personally requested for her own use. I present to you the mantle of the Assassin, accompanied  with the finest blade and bow that our smiths can create." he announced, ripping the cloth away. The outfit was made of a dark black leather accentuated with silver metal plates in key defensive areas. The wrist-guards of the garment were lined with spikes, to be used as auxiliary weapons should the need arise. The gear was obviously designed for pragmatic, victory-at-all-costs combat; perfectly suited to Kasumi's approach to war. Kasumi smiled and stepped forward to retrieve her new trappings.

"Next, for Lady Naomi; the mantle of the Trickster." he announced, tearing away another cloth to reveal Naomi's new armor and equipment. It was a gorgeous thing, made of brilliant white cloth with blue details and yellow accents. The leather armor that adorned the outfit was of a shade of white, obviously dyed, and featured many compartments and buckles to hold any assortment of items. Draped in the back of the outfit was a flowing white cloak, long enough to reach to Naomi's ankles, that was lined with gold embroidery and featuring a hood and a mask for the face that resembled those worn in masquerades. Lying with the armor was a curved Killing Edge sword, and a staff with a blue gem embedded in the head.

"Moving on, I present the armor of the Swordmaster to Sir Silas." Torm called out, tearing away the next hiding cloth. Silas' equipment consisted of a white tunic that was reinforced by several plates of blue mythril armor; likely a homage to his admiration of the material mentioned in his speech at Faye's funeral. The outfit also featured black leather belts and reinforcements on the joints and the shoulders. At the waist, a long blue sash hung on one side. Such a sash was likely to cover one of the legs of the wearer. To the side of the armor was a gleaming sword made of silver.

Torm cleared his throat and stepped to the next object in the presentation. "Next, we present the armor of the Great Knight upon Sir Daud, Champion of Ebonreach." he proudly annnounced. Daud hadn't yet heard the nickname; it likely referred to his victory over the enemy knight that won them the city. The cloth was torn away to reveal not one set of armor, but two; one sized for Daud, and the other sized for a steed. The armor was made of the same material as the spear-head of Reginleif, a beautiful golden metal that shone with a slight hint of orange in the sunlight. The armor seemed mostly top-heavy, made to offer as much protection as possible while keeping mounted combat comfortable. The golden armor was accompanied by slight hints of blue, to indicate Daud's Estean allegiance, and the backplate of the armor was stamped with a large rendition of the royal crest of Esteos. Lastly, the armor came with a golden shield, bearing a blue cross on its face. Daud was no less than speechless.

"It was the first time in ages that we tapped into our reserve of Orichalchum." Torm clarified, referring to the material of the armor. "I believe it was quite worth it for such a piece."

As Daud gazed upon his armor in amazement, Mayor Torm moved on. "For Sir Gale, we present the armor of the Dark Knight. A difficult piece, but I believe you will be satisfied with the result." he said as he pulled away the cloth. Another dual set of armor for a man and a steed, Gale's armor was made of an almost-sinister black metal. The armor was accompanied by a black helmet that featured multiple slits, giving it the appearance of a horizontal cage. The armor was completed in look by a dark blue cape, and the horse armor that accompanied it shared the same general style. With the outfit sat a simple silver sword.

Torm walked to the next display. "Here we bestow the trappings of the War Cleric to Sir Duncan." he said as he pulled away the cloth. Beneath was a set of simple white robes, reinforced with steel armor on the breast. The armor features pauldrons for the shoulders and large gauntlets, both sets modeled with a dragon motif in mind to harken to Duncan's faith. With the simple yet functional garment sat a battle-axe that was made of steel. 

Duncan stepped forward to procure his new belongings as Torm proceeded to the next mannequin, the biggest yet. "For Lady Alora, we present the reins of the Falcon Knight." proclaimed the mayor as he removed the cloth. The armor was quite similar to Alora's current light plate, albeit with more artistry in the design, but the real treasure of the display was the accompanying armor for her pegasus. Falcon Knights were known to ride winged unicorns, but seeing as Alora would die before parting with her trusted mount, the balcksmiths compensated by affixing the pegasus' helmet with a long, sharp horn. The horse's armor was made of blue mythril, decorated with a caparison that bore the coat of arms of Alora's house. With the armor sat a silver lance and a staff affixed with a yellow gem.

"Continuing with our gifts, we present the armor of the Sniper to young Master Cael." Torm called out. "Your father would be proud." he added as he removed the cloth. The armor was made of a dark brown leather, studded and decorated by blue sashes and a small cape that draped past the shoulder blades. The feature of the set of equipment were the three bows that accompanied the armor; one was a tall longbow, the second a standard bow made of silver, and third a massive bow fitted with a telescopic scope. 

"Then to the newly appointed Duke Edward, we present yet another mantle of the Assassin; fitted for your own preferences in contrast to Lady Kasumi's, of course." said the mayor, taking away the cloth and revealing the armor beneath. Ned's armor consisted entirely of jet black leather with no metal reinforcement save for a number of studs on the breast and other vulnerable areas. His armor also did not share the blades on the arms with Kasumi's armor; it did, however, possess a long hood and several belts and compartments, fit for holding extra quivers or alchemical vials. A bow sat by the armor, with a quiver that contained deadly serrated arrows.

"Nearing the end, we gift the robes of the Sorcerer to Master Carn." he called out, removing the cloth. Underneath sat a set of fashionably questionable robes; dark blue to fit the color of the Estean army, the robes covered a majority of the body and were largely plain themelves; the outfit was decorated by countless golden pieces of jewelry and charms, likely important to the craft of dark magic. There were undoubtedly dozens of places to store objects within the robes.

"For Lady Ririka, we gift thee the armor of the Bow Knight." he announced. Ririka was confused at first, but was giddily surprised when she saw the silver armor beneath. The armor was light on the torso and arms to maximize agility when firing a bow, but the lower half was covered by a metallic skirt that split for each leg, to accommodate comfortable horsemanship. Two silver bows accompanied the display.

Torm approached the last display with a smile. "And lastly, for our beloved Prince, we gift thee the finest work to be produced by our smiths in many a year; the mantle of the Great Lord."

Isaac was astounded by the regal armor beneath. It resembled his current noble garb, made up of a fine dark blue shirt with white and purple accents and lined in silver. Over the shirt was a white breastplate, stamped with the coat of arms of House Esteos. The shirt extended past the waist and was tied by a fine black belt, decorated with blue gems. The arms of the armor were also lined with silver armor, ending in pauldrons for the shoulders and gauntlets for the hands. The armor also featured a flowing cape that was black on the inside, and a pale blue on the outside. The outer part of the cape was lined in silver and featured a much larger imprint of the royal coat of arms. 

Surprisingly, the armor for Isaac was accompanied by armor for a horse as well. The armor shared the silver and dark blue motif with Isaac's armor, and bore a caparison that again showed the royal crest. It was fitting; Isaac took great pride in his house and name. Lastly, the armor was presented alongside a beautiful noble rapier, sharper and longer than Isaac's current weapon with a more extravagant hilt. 

"This is a tremendous, incredibly generous gift." Isaac proclaimed, bowing in spite of himself.

Mayor Torm was quite surprised by the bow, but merely smiled. "It was the least we could do, my lord. Please, use them in the quest to restore the realm. You have my blessing, and the aid of all of the twin cities."

Isaac smiled. "I'd have no other at my aid. Thank you."

* * *

Isaac and Daud were called to the stables by Kasumi, whom waited with the reins of two horses in her hands.

"Others have already been gifted steeds. Two of you, however... deserve more." Kasumi told them.

First, she led the horse on the left, a brown horse of great musculature, to Daud. She spoke with a deliberate attempt to suppress her speech pattern, to make the presentation more special. "Daud, to you goes the horse of the Indartian captain that you bested. Strong, diligent... if not disobedient. If any can tame it, it is you."

Daud smiled and graciously accepted the steed. The beast stared into Daud's eyes knowingly; Daud could tell it bore him some ill will, but he vowed to himself that he would treat the animal with the respect such a magnificent beast deserved.

"Isaac... a gift to you from... Well, from Faye." Kasumi continued, leading the white horse on the right towards Isaac. It made sense now, why Isaac had recognized the horse. It was Whisper, Faye's newest horse since the death of her own just before the campaign. Whisper was the young filly of her previous steed, named Loyalty. The horse, only recently of age to be ridden as a warhorse, was nothing short of gorgeous, the result of decades of delicate breeding. Isaac silently took the reins, having to fight back more tears. 

"Kasumi, I..." 

Daud placed a hand upon the prince's shoulder. "She would trust you, my lord. Truthfully, I doubt she would want anyone else riding her." 

Isaac nodded and inhaled, calming himself. "Yes... thank you. I swear to you, Whisper, I shall treat you with the respect that your master would warrant."

The sun began to set and so the horses were stabled. The three Esteans returned to their quarters to rest, as the next movement of their campaign would be discussed on the morrow.

 

 


	11. Our Next Move

The war council met once more in the city hall of Ebonreach, joined by the likes of Thormund, Landon, Lizeth, Vesper, and Nah. With the council outfitted in their new sets of equipment, Isaac could only bear even more pride in all they had accomplished thus far.

"We have three objectives at the present." Isaac told the gathered council. "Subjugate the invaders from Indartis, the same for Ormica, and discover more of these Abyssnians that have been accompanying the Ormican forces."

Kasumi placed a vial of sickly green liquid on the table. "With help from Ned and Alora, was able to concoct antidote to Abyssnian toxin. One of ten vials. Will need more toxin samples to make more." she announced. "Suggest choosing carefully."

"What are the holdings of each force?" Daud asked. "Mayhaps it would be best to move against the others like we did the Arcymians; aiming to procure a valuable fort or strategically advantageous position."

Isaac took the liberty of placing a few colored figures on the map on the council's table. "Our scouts have brought back reports that the Ormicans hold more land than we previously thought. In addition to several forts and the city of Stahlheim in the south, they hold Esteos' most prominent port town as well, the town of Frey's Passage. For the moment, they do not pose as much threat as the Indartians, whom hold most of the eastern mining region in greater numbers than the Ormicans. We're unsure of any involvement from the Abyssnians on their end."

"Judge Magister Weiss has been sighted on Estean soil, I may add." Silas pointed out. "If you're to procure this blade you spoke of, then we may find it profitable to go after them first."

"Blade?" Gale asked. "You're talking about the Sword of Mercy, right?"

Isaac nodded. "That's another name for Curtana, yes. It is not only an heirloom rightfully belonging to my house; Lady Nah believes it will allow us to commune with Naga herself."

Amid hushed gasps and whispers, Varos spoke up. "We're chasing a blade that allows us to commune with a goddess that has long abandoned us? And for what? Forgive me, Lord Isaac, should not your first priority be pushing out the enemy, and not chasing after a mythical blade that may or may not work?"

"The fact remains that whomever sank Estralis is still at large, and given time, they may do it again." Isaac retorted, rather annoyed. "I'll not let that happen again."

"Naga has not abandoned us." Nah added. "Yet she cannot guide us every step of the way."

Varos huffed and leaned back against the wall. "Yes, I forgot we had the dragon-woman on our side. I shan't speak up again."

 

Kasumi cleared her throat aloud to break the tension and stop the conversation. "If I may suggest... Approach Indartis first. With their resources, should be able to wage better campaign upon Ormican remnants. Worry about sword and Abyssnians later." 

"I think I agree." Isaac replied. "Indartis first, find our foothold in the east. Are the Ormicans present there?"

"To our knowledge, no." Kasumi clarified. Only clashed with Indartis in this area. Likely won't clash again if we win. Realize we're a threat; likely to attack while we're gone."

Isaac smiled, placing a blue figurine atop the location of Fort Gilliam. "Luckily, the fort shall cover the pass for a time. We should be safe; With only one army to worry about, Fort Gilliam shall not fall."

"Let us hope." said Naomi. "The sooner this is all over, the better."

 

* * *

The Esteans prepared for their upcoming move the following day. The horses had been saddled and the caravans loaded; all that remained was some last minute provision checks to ensure the army would be well fed.

Silas entered the warehouse on the outskirts of the city to assist in the moving of supplies. To his surprise, he saw Vesper lugging around loads of equipment of equal size, if not even bigger, than the soldiers around her. 

"Here, let me help you with that." he called, heading over and taking a few items off of her arms.

"Hey, I had all that!" Vesper protested, huffing. 

Silas simply smiled. "Wouldn't want a young'un hurting herself before the move, that's all."

"Excuse you? Young one?" Vesper asked. She looked visibly offended. "I'm older than Ririka!"

Surprised, Silas immediately dropped the smirk on his face. "O-oh! You're... you're not a teenager? You're just so..."

"Short? Tiny? I know, don't remind me." Vesper mumbled as she walked with Silas to place the provisions on the caravan. "I'm nineteen, so you know. I'm still younger than Lizeth, but I'm an adult just like the rest of you. I'm just... small."

"Well, you certainly had me fooled." Silas admitted. "Not a bad thing, anyhow. You're still quite the looker."

Vesper coughed in disgust. "Yeah, no. You can drop the philandering, mister! You thought I was a child only moments ago!"

"Feh. Women." Silas muttered jokingly, earning him a slap on the back of the head from Vesper.

* * *

Isaac stepped out of the Mayor's residence, ready to head to the stables to get ready for the journey. In his immediate path stood Landon, the blind sage who came with Nah, who was running his hand across the bricks of the building. 

"Hello, my lord." Landon called out, not turning around. 

Isaac froze in place. "You... could tell it was me?"

"You have an aura about you. Kind, gentle, diligent... You are easy to pick out among the others. Almost as easy as the Lady Voice."

Flushed, Isaac scratched the back of his head. "Er... thank you. Is there something you need?"

"There is, actually." Landon replied. "My lord, all humans have the capability of magic use, but not many have an actual aptitude for it, and few still have the aptitude for combat magic. I believe you are of this few. I can sense such things in the absence of my vision." 

Isaac pondered the sage's words. "You... say I have the potential to cast magic?"

"The potential, yes. The will? We shall see. Please, take this book." Landon instructed, placing a yellow tome in the prince's hands. "Follow my instructions and we shall see." he continued, brandishing a staff and producing a protective ward about his person.

Isaac looked down at the tome, feeling a strange sense of resonance from it. Could Landon be speaking the truth? From the warm feeling emanating from the tome, Isaac could only hope so. "What must I do, Landon?"

"Focus not on what is written in the tome." Landon instructed. He would know, being a blind man. "Rather, focus upon what is within it. Feel the energy resonating outward. It is a manipulable force like any other; will it forward. Use your hands if need be to instruct it to fly forward."

"Very well..." the prince replied, closing his eyes for a moment as he focused. Upon opening his eyes, he spied glowing sigils and runes floating about the air around him, as was the norm for spellcasters. Feeling the magic as a force like Landon had asked, Isaac guided his hand forward, producing a bolt of lightning that rushed forward and destroyed Landon's protective barrier. 

Landon clapped excitedly. "Very good, my lord! You've the aptitude and the talent, that is for sure. What you just cast was a simple spell of thunder, but with training, the strongest spells should not be beyond your reach. Please, keep the tome."

Isaac smiled. "Thank you, Landon." he replied, bowing thankfully and proceeding to leave the estate, tome and sword in hand.

 


	12. The First Move

It was at first light that the Esteans bade farewell to the city of Ebonreach and took to the roads. Being as they traveled in a group numbering in the thousands, there were several times where the leading group (comprised of Isaac and his close officers) would have to stop and wait for the rest of the force to catch up. During these times, the group would take the time to practice with their newly acquired weapons and abilities; Isaac in particular, who was quickly getting the hang of casting magic; much to Daud's unvoiced disapproval.

The knight couldn't deny, however, that Isaac was far superior in combat than he had been a mere few months ago. The lad whom held the blade with hesitation and fright now swung it with confidence from atop a steed who responded well to his moves. Isaac had figured out a way of using his sword as a conduit for his spells, thus negating his need to sheath his blade before casting a spell. With this strategy, he was free to hold a sword in one hand and a tome in the other.

With more room on his person thanks to less armor on his lower body, Daud had taken to carrying around an axe and a sword to accompany Reginleif, and was thus prepared for any melee opponent at the mere switch of a weapon. The steed of the Indartian captain, whom Daud had taken to calling 'Valiant', was still rather unruly, and was becoming quite an annoyance on the journey to the Eastern part of Esteos. After the third or so time being thrown off, Daud had nearly considered switching steeds for the time being, but knew that would get him nowhere. He would have to earn the horse's trust and loyalty the hard way.

Near the front strode Naomi atop a horse of her own, though she hadn't the intent to do battle from it. With the group halted for a moment, she merely trotted about for the fun of it all, not having much time to ride when she still lived in the palace at Estralis. A majority of her time was spent in her training to be a spy, a craft at which she excelled thanks to her sense of perception and her knack for stealth and deception. It was her sense of perception that clued her off on Ririka's irritated gaze. Even whenever Naomi was nowhere near the prince, she earned Ririka's ire. "This needs to stop." she muttered to herself, minding her own business for the time being.

Not far away, Kasumi had approached Varos the swordmaster, whom with she had several disputes with for the past few meetings. Much like Ririka's one-sided feud with Naomi, Kasumi knew such a situation would only drive wedges into the plans of the army. Truthfully, she didn't trust the wizened old soldier, but that didn't mean that she could simply bring such suspicions to the prince. All she could do was watch, and listen.

"Hello, Varos." Kasumi called out in greetings, waving. "Would like to speak with you."

Varos looked up. "Whatever for?" he asked. Kasumi had noted that the man had grown considerably bitter in the last few weeks; almost childishly so. She paid the response no mind, however.

"Well... Would like to ask of previous military experience. Apparently fought in war before the signing of the Great Charter of Peace?"

"Ah, yes... How much do you know of that war, Kasumi?" the swordmaster asked before any telling.

Kasumi put a finger to her chin, piecing her thoughts together. "Began when Arcymis city of Pent's Peak broke away from mageocracy to become city state under Ormican rule twenty-five years ago." she began, again pausing to gather her thoughts. "Arcymis struck back and Ormica defended new city. War disrupted much trade, thus other nations stepped in; Esteos and Albium on the side of Ormica, Indartis on the side of Arcymis. War only ended with King Steiner's ascension to Estean throne, declaration of Great Charter of Peace. Introduced shaky but definite peace conditions acceptable for all five nations. Pike's Peak remains independent state under Ormica with social structure of Arcymis."

"Then you know much. Your studiousness does you credit." Varos conceded. "So you know that I fought alongside the Albium forces during that war. I was a young man of only twenty. A new wife and son, eager to start life in a border town rich in trade." he continued, falling silent for a moment. "Arcymians conducted a surprise attack at the urging of the Indartian strategists two years into the war. Burned the town to ground, taking the town's entire militia... and my wife and son with it. They did it to get at an Estean position. The Estean commander of the fort refused to risk his own soldiers to help nearby Albium citizens."

Kasumi gasped upon hearing the story. Her father had been a commander during the war, but she never knew much about where he was stationed. She could only hope that it wasn't he that made such a decision; if he was, then she prayed that it was with good reason.

"I've no love for war, Kasumi. Yet swinging a sword is all I'm truly good at. I hadn't much time to be a father or a merchant." Varos stated grimly. "You understand my distaste for surprise attacks, now."

"Sometimes best course of action to ensure survival of own men." Kasumi reasoned.

Varos scoffed, looking into the distance. "Yes, well, you would do well to remember that each man and woman we kill on the other side is a person with friends and family just as us."

Kasumi was silent for a moment, then broke the silence with a sigh and a final statement. "And... you would do well to remember the friends and families of our own."

With that, the strategist allowed the swordmaster to brood in peace, leaving her much to think about.

 

* * *

 

Nah had peered at maps and books nearly the entire way to the Indartian position, and thus was almost oblivious to her surroundings until she was struck with a sudden sense of fatigue. She looked up and saw Isaac staring into the distance, tears silently falling from his eyes. Before she asked what was the matter, she turned her eyes to the west, and understood. 

In the distance was a massive hole the size of a large lake in the earth, filled with torrential swirling water. It was surely the Maelstrom, the massive wound in the earth where Estralias had once stood. Though it was quite a distance away, one could still hear the raging of the vicious waters. 

It occurred to Nah that it must have been the first time Isaac had seen the fate of his home firsthand. It was all she could do to place a hand upon his shoulder.

Isaac took a deep breath and placed his own hand upon Nah's, trying to hold himself back from breaking down. "These were good men and women. My mother and father, especially. They did all they could to ensure peace for this realm. Why, then, did someone do this?"

"That, I intend to help you find out." Nah replied. She had seen many disingenuous rulers spring up under the guise of nobility and righteousness, but few actually embodied such virtues. Upon seeing Isaac's tears, however, she could no longer doubt the man.

With another breath, Isaac wiped his eyes. "...I would like to be gone from this place. Let us continue on."

With that said, the Esteans left the Maelstrom behind, its raging waters never calming.

* * *

The main leading group of the Esteans, still ahead of the main force, set eyes upon a small village on the very outskirts of the mining region of Esteos. Alarmingly, however, it appeared to be under attack, judging by the three flying figures swooping around the the roofs of the buildings to avoid arrows.

"A wyvern, a gryphon, and a black pegasus." Alora remarked as she observed the fliers. "I suggest we approach. The attacking force; I assume the fliers are defending, anyway; doesn't look very large." 

Isaac nodded then looked back at his followers. He drew his blade and pointed it forward. "On my mark! Hyah!" he shouted, goading his horse into a sprint. He was followed by his officers, reaching the village in a few seconds. Observing the yellow colors of the three fliers and the archers and soldiers within the village, he noted that they were all Indartians.  _A rebellion?_ Isaac wondered. His wondering ceased to matter, however, when an arrow whizzed past him. "We are aiding the fliers!" he shouted, launching a bolt of lightning at his attacker.

Gale immediately followed the prince's example and charged atop his black steed, launching bolts of fire left and right with frightening precision, always striking their targets yet avoiding the buildings. An arrow flew straight at him, yet another bolt of fire was launched to incinerate it before it struck him. 

With the assault of the Esteans thoroughly crushing the archers, the fliers were free to land. The gryphon and the pegasus touched onto the ground gracefully, revealing two blonde haired women atop them. They were both obviously sisters. 

Following the graceful landings, the wyvern slammed its heavy weight onto the ground, sending a cloud of dust about. When the dust settled, an older man with greying blonde hair was seen atop the draconic beast. "I am High Judge Cedric, Magister of Old Southhill. Though I suppose that title means little now." the man stated, holding his gleaming silver lance readily. "I would have the name of the rescuer of my daughters and myself."

"Prince Isaac of Esteos." Isaac replied, keeping his sword drawn as well. "You are the duke of the capital duchy of Indartis; why are your men attacking you so?"

Cedric laughed in response, though his daughters stayed silent. "Why indeed? I am, as of quite recently, a traitor to the court of Indartis. One too many disagreements with the Supreme Judge Magister about our occupation of your lands and I was readily 'dismissed' from court."

"Dismissed?" Isaac asked. 

"Executed." Cedric replied. "Or, at least, they attempted to do so. As you can see, my daughters and I are quite healthy, and without title or claim. They send these men to snuff us out before we can reveal any sensitive information to the enemy; to you, I suppose." 

One of the blonde girls, the one atop the gryphon who appeared to be the older of the two sisters, pointed her axe to the east. "Father, I don't think that was the last of them." 

Cedric turned his head to the direction that his daughter was pointing at, nodding an affirmative. "Good eye, Eden. Take Eve and retreat behind the lines of the Esteans; I shall assist them in handling this, if they will have us." 

"Given the circumstance, I accept." Isaac replied. "For now, at least. We must discuss this when this mess is through."

"As you would have it, prince. Let us defend this place!"

The Indartian pursuers were a small force, but all were trained soldiers and thus not to be trifled with. Cedric took to the skies immediately, out of the reach of arrows, to search for a place to strike while his daughters obeyed his orders to retreat.

"On me!" Daud called out, trotting upon his horse to form the front line of the defense. He leaped off of his horse and bore his shield and lance, ready to intercept the the attackers. 

The attackers did come, one of them immediately being felled by Daud's defensive posture while several were blasted away by gusts of wind. Gale strode up, off of his horse as well, with tome and sword in hand. "Need a hand?" he asked aloud, clashing swords with an approaching soldier before launching him away with a gust.

Daud merely huffed in response, focusing on an axe-wielding soldier approaching him. In a quick motion, Daud replaced Reginleif with a sword of steel. The axe was brought down but Daud parried the axe to the side. Following this, he rammed his shield into the soldier and then struck him in the side, finishing him. 

"I'll take that as a no." Gale observed. Just then, Cedric rocketed out of the sky upon his wyvern, slamming onto the ground and crushing three soldiers under him. 

It wasn't long before the last of the attackers were dismissed, and Isaac and Cedric had adequate time to speak.

"I ask only for one thing." Cedric asked. "Keep my daughters safe, and you shall have me and my knowledge at your disposal. I am of no small ability in combat."

Before Isaac could reply, Cedric's daughters strode up as well. "Keep us safe? No, father, we're going to fight with you. You know we can." spoke Eve, the younger of the sisters atop the black pegasus.

"We worry for you just as you do for us. Please, let us accompany you." added Eden, the older sister riding the gryphon. 

Cedric groaned. "We will speak of this later, you two. Prince Isaac, please. I'll not lie to you, I've nowhere else to go. If I can help you, I will."

"You're awfully quick to abandon your nation." Spoke Daud. As a man of great faith to his country, the though of such sudden disloyalty was rather foreign to him.

With a sigh, Cedric continued to speak. "I have been dissatisfied for a very long time with the state of my nation, good sir. Nearly thirty years of service and they toss me out the minute I speak to the contrary of the Supreme Judge Magister. I make not this offer in falsehood. My time with Indartis is done, for the time being, until I can find myself in such a place to help reform it. Until then, I cannot find under her banner."

Isaac looked around. "You defended this village?" he asked, seemingly off topic.

"They were caught in my flight and yet offered my daughters and I shelter. I could not involve them, but when I attempted to take my leave, the soldiers were already upon us. It was all I could do."

With a nod, Isaac crossed our arms. "Sir Cedric, I accept your offer. You will be a worthy comrade... as your daughters shall be, perhaps."

"Yes, I did say I would speak with them, would I?" Cedric mentioned, groaning. "Thank you, sire. I promise not to disappoint. I shall tell you all I know as you request. Until then, I bid you farewell. I've a duty to my children."

With that, the former Judge proceeded to ride to his daughters. The arguing could already be heard.

"Are you certain this is wise, my lord?" Daud asked plainly. 

"No, I am not." Isaac replied. "But I'm not sure if turning him away would be wise either. Bear with him, Daud. He may have valuable information."

Daud nodded, bowed, and turned away. The Esteans would later regroup with their main force, and continue to the far eastern reaches of Esteos.


	13. The New Front

The protests of Cedric's daughters did not fall on deaf ears, as the man would eventually concede and accept their help. As fugitives of the Indartian government, they would find little safe haven anywhere save for the prince's company, and they would not leave their father to take to the battlefield without him.

The conditions of this arrangement apparently included the presence of both daughters at each of Cedric's meetings with the Prince. Isaac couldn't decide if they were overbearing or overprotective. Either way, they offered good information, particularly on troop movements. As it happened, both daughters were ranking officials in the Indartian military before their father's exile.

"This information is incredibly useful, but I'm not entirely sure how we will take this particular city without casualties." Isaac began. "The Indartians haven't chased the villagers away. Would they hold them hostage, so to say?"

Cedric sighed. "Likely they would attempt to conscript them and imprison those who decline." he answered. "Ours is a country of absolutes."

"Then siege weapons are out of the question. And a frontal assault may mean turning our weapons on my own people." The prince spoke in a grim tone. "I cannot allow either, yet this location is far too valuable. This is the largest mythril mine in the country; nay, the world. In enemy hands it only hurts us."

Kasumi sighed. "May be unavoidable. Sacrifice few to s-"

"Yes, I have heard the 'sacrifice few to save many' reasoning many times before, Kasumi, and you will forgive me when I deny it!" Isaac shot back, louder than he had originally intended. He did not vocally apologize for the slight outburst, but his gentle eyes conveyed such as he calmed down. "This is a stressful situation. But I will not accept the deaths of the very people I am fighting for unless it is an absolute last resort. Do not give me absolutes unless I am positive that there is no other way."

A small cough silenced the room. Naomi walked forward, placing her newly acquired masquerade mask atop her face. "There may be another way, if you'll humor me." she spoke. Kasumi looked on in curiosity. "It's a stretch, but... it's nothing I haven't done before."

"Assassination?" Cedric asked. "Would that not be a task suited for an actual assassin?"

The azure-haired thief shook her head. "Not assassination. Maybe not at first. I mean false troop movements. Misdirection within their ranks. Infiltration. My specialty, so to speak."

"And you intend to do this yourself? I'm not sending you alone, Naomi." Isaac retorted. He cared for her too much to send her into such danger alone.

"I know." she replied, placing her hands on her hips. "That's why it's nice that Cedric's daughters are here."

Eve and Eden turned their heads. "What?" asked the former. "How can we help? We're exiles."

"Yes, but they don't know that yet, don't they?" asked Naomi. "They may know of the news of your father, as he is the main target in your situation, but perhaps they know nothing of you yet. You've got Indartian uniforms, you can act the part of the escort."

Eden rubbed her temple. "And what part would you be playing in all this?"

"A noblewoman. I'm asking on a hunch here; is there a female judge on the High Court of Indartis?"

"Four of them." Cedric replied, catching on to what she was getting at. "Judge Chiaki, Judge Gunhilde, Judge Yvette, and Judge Magister Freya."

With a nod, Naomi began pacing back and forth. "And are the faces of these women known to the common man in the army? Officers, even?"

Cedric began to smile. "Chiaki and Freya, yes. Chiaki is heavily involved in the military, and every man knows the face of a Judge Magister. You may have luck impersonating Gunhilde or Yvette."

"And would you be able to teach me the basics of acting like an Indartian noble?" Naomi asked as she continued her pacing.

Cedric laughed and patted the table. "Very well, very well, I understand the idea. I will humor you, should the prince and my daughters approve."

"You'll allow us to go?" Eden asked, surprised. "Even after our little chat?"

"I could hardly stop you. So I ask you, Prince Isaac. What do you think of the plan?" Cedric asked. "I know I am asking you to put an extraordinary amount of faith in my daughters and my ability to impart knowledge of nobility. I cannot guarantee success, of course."

Isaac clasped his hands together in thought, leaning forward in his seat. "It is better than going forth and slaughtering innocents given swords by our enemies. Naomi, I trust you with this. Eve and Eden, you as well. We have less than a week."

"We won't fail you. I promise." Naomi assured the prince. "Now we just need to figure out where to start."

* * *

 

 "...and when an officer approaches you, what will you do?" Eve asked, pacing back and forth in front of Naomi. It was the third day of her instruction, and progress was being made smoothly. Had Naomi not been a thief, she would have adapted to the stage rather well.

"I address him by stating my name, rank, and house, and he shall reply in turn. As highest in rank, all will not speak to me unless spoken to, save for sanctioned discussions." Naomi recited, her eyes closed. 

Eden smiled. "Good. And when directing your troops?"

"Speak firmly. Allow no second guessing. Be intimidating, not insulting. Delegate to the two of you whenever possible."

"Excellent. And one last question; what are our exact titles?" Eden finished, crossing her arms.

Naomi took a deep breath and spoke. "Sergeant First Class Eve Milicent Caeda Anastas Harcrow of House Harcrow, Daughter of Judge Cedric Hadrian Benedict Destrian Harcrow. Master Sergeant Eden Arabella Ayleth Emeline Harcrow, Daughter of Judge Cedric Hadrian Benedict Destrian Harcrow. By the gods, you Indartians and your names!" she continued, having to catch her breath. "I can scarcely imagine how you remember all of this!"

"You get used to it." replied Eve. "Lineage and family is very important to us, you know. My names stem from my grandmothers and great aunts. But when in private company, Eve and Eden will do."

Naomi tilted her head. "Yet you're all lead by a man who is a lowborn by birth?" 

"Thus you see why His Lawfulness is such a controversial figure in the eyes of the high court." Cedric stated as he entered the tent. "I trust things are going well, Naomi? Can you describe to me the composition of the ruling body of Indartis? Every soldier in the army knows such, and your cover will be blown without question if you don't remember it."

Nodding, Naomi tapped her chin. "Yes, of course. The ruling body is known as the High Court. There are two levels to the court. The outer circle of twenty-five Judges, who serve beneath the inner circle of five Judge Magisters, also known as the High Judges. The inner circle is led by one of the five Judge Magisters, known as the Supreme Judge Magister. This would be Weiss." 

"Correct. I daresay you are ready." Cedric answered. "I appreciate your forthright eagerness to learn all of this. Your prince has been most kind despite our brief tenure among your ranks. It speaks monuments to his character."

Naomi smiled. "He's a trusting man. He can't afford to be paranoid when there's so little help to be had."

"Well said. Now, are you prepared?" Cedric asked, getting straight to the point. "The sooner we act, the better."

"I... I suppose. I could use a few more run-throughs of my information, it couldn't hurt."

Cedric shook his head. "You can do so on the go. Eve and Eden will take good care of you. And though I doubt it needs stating, I urge you to run should things go awry. There is no greater honor than giving one's life for their country, but it is hardly called for in terms of subterfuge."

"Right... I'll be careful." Naomi replied. "Just let me say goodbye to my friends before I leave."

"Of course." Cedric conceded, holding open the flap of the tent for her to leave.

* * *

 

Isaac peered over the map of the area that Duncan had drawn up. The priest was a surprisingly skilled cartographer and was remarkably well-traveled, and thus often was able to draw reliable maps based on short descriptions of the area from scouts. Daud, Silas, and Kasumi exchanged musings at their position, likely killing time before Naomi's mission was ready to begin. They wouldn't be able to move until then, after all. Other officers sat around the camp, performing various tasks to alleviate their collective boredom.

"Oh, Naomi." Isaac spoke as the thief entered his tent. "How goes your work with Cedric?" 

Naomi shrugged. "They say I'm ready. Starting tomorrow, I will be Judge Yvette Alexandra Hilde de Brasca of Indartis. With luck, I should be able to trip our enemies up and bring back some valuable information." 

"Good, good." Isaac replied, not looking Naomi in the eye. "I'm sorry we have to send you in like this. If I could send an armed escort, I would in a heartbeat. Just know that I-"

"Isaac."

"I only ask this because I trust in your ability. You've been an incredible asset, and-"

"Isaac." 

"I have the utmost faith you'll succeed, of course, and bring-"

"Isaac!" Naomi shouted, accompanying her interruption with a slap to the prince's face. Daud instinctively grabbed the nearest blunt object he could find (an unlit torch), but dropped it as he saw the seriousness in Naomi's eyes. The thief's face grew red for a moment, and she spoke again. "Ugh, always talking too much." she spat, grabbing Isaac by the collar and pulling him in close to press her lips on his. 

The action was met with a small round of applause, a few whistles, the sound of Ririka dropping several plates, and a "Finally" from Silas. Isaac's eyes remained wide open the entire time while Naomi's were shut tight until she pulled away. For a moment it seemed like she would fall over of lightheadedness, yet she stayed on her feet. 

The prince coughed. "I..."

"Not so many speeches left, hm?" Naomi asked, laughing. "That'll give me something to come back to. We'll have a lot to talk about." 

"Uh... yes, of course." Isaac replied, still dumbfounded over what had just happened.

Naomi cleared her throat and waved goodbye to everyone. "Well... wish me luck. I leave in the morning." 

The thief exited the tent, leaving behind a stunned prince and a thoroughly amused inner circle.


	14. Infiltration

Naomi strode towards the Indartian position atop a chestnut horse, flanked by Eve and Eden on their respective mounts. While the sisters were able to remain in their uniforms, Naomi had to undergo some extensive disguise work. Thankfully, the Judge she was impersonating had blue hair as well, eliminating the need for hair dye. Regardless, Naomi wore a helmet and a decorative uniform belonging to Eden, one used for ceremonies and initiations. It wouldn't look out of place; the sisters insisted that high-ranking officers would often don their ceremonial uniforms for visits to the front lines, for appearances if nothing else.

"I look alright, right?" Naomi asked while they were still out of earshot. "Convincing enough?"

Eve nodded. "Yes, you look fine. You have a soft face, though... judges are not soft people. Your words will have to make up for that. Count us lucky if they only suspect it as a flaw of character."

"Gee, thanks..." Naomi mumbled as they reached the fortified encampment. Two yellow-clad soldiers stood with lances in hand, unmoving and silent. 

Eden looked to Naomi and nodded. The thief turned her gaze to the two soldiers and put on the best face of disapproval she could manage.

"I am  Judge Yvette Alexandra Hilde de Brasca of House de Brasca." Naomi announced, causing noticeable fear in the hearts of the two soldiers. Their stoic facade was more or less broken when they heard the word 'judge'. "You would do well to open these gates, for I come to speak to your commander."

"We shall enter with her. I am Master Sergeant Eden Arabella Ayleth Emeline Harcrow. With me and her lawfulness is Sergeant First Class Eve Milicent Caeda Anastas Harcrow. We wish to bring news of our father's flight from the capital." Spoke Eden. Naomi noted that they did not mention their father in their titles, indicating that they were feigning betrayal against their father.

The soldiers nodded to each other and bowed before the three women, then proceeded to open the gates for them to stride in. "Milady, Ensign Trent Hawkins." he spoke, bowing even further. "I will lead you to our commander's tent."

"Do so, and make haste." Naomi instructed, making sure not to get too comfortable with their success.

"Of course, milady."

* * *

Naomi and the Harcrow sisters followed the ensign through the town, observing the situation as they passed. The distinction between the Indartian soldiers and the conscripted townspeople was clear as day. Outfitted in loose, cheap armor and armed with weapons to match, the townspeople looked more suitable as ballista fodder than proper soldiers. Naomi had no doubt that they would be utilized as such.

The town was also dotted with crates of radiant blue ore; mythril ore in its raw form, newly mined and soon to be processed. The hold on the region was held tight by the hostage militia, and enforced with the ore. It would be difficult to gain ground without losing something or someone along the way.

That was, unless Naomi was able to succeed.

The ensign stopped his walk in front of a large tent atop a small rise, bowing before the 'judge' and her entourage before stepping into the tent. Moments later, he re-emerged, saluting as he awaited further instruction. 

"You are dismissed, ensign. Return to the walls."

The soldier quickly finished his salute, and then returned to his previous position. Naomi, Eve and Eden got off of their mounts and proceeded to enter the tent.

"Hello, Lieutenant." Naomi called out as she strode in. "I trust no introductions are needed."

The lieutenant, standing inside gazing at a map laid upon a nearby table, looked up and saluted the people walking into the tent. Eden and Eve, being of lower rank than lieutenant, saluted back, while Naomi simply stood firm. "Only so that our discussion can go smoothly, your lawfulness. I am Lieutenant Gradius von Hartwig. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I will not lie to you, Lieutenant. The Esteans have the court worried." Naomi answered as she stood across from the table, trying not to make eye contact. "We've received worrying reports about this small Estean company establishing a strong foothold in the south. Despite our efforts."

With a cough, Gradius nodded. "Yes, your grace. Lieutenant Gunther let us down at the twin cities, but we plan to stop the Esteans when they march upon our position here."

"And how do you plan to do that, exactly?" Naomi asked accusingly. "An ambush as they enter the city?"

Gradius nodded. "Of sorts." he answered with a grin. "The citizens of this city have been forcefully conscripted, as commanded by Judge Chiaki.

"Her lawfulness would allow such a thing?" Eve asked. Eden looked to her to get her to hush, but Eve remained vigilant in contesting the action. "This is a war crime!"

"This is not war, this is subjugation, Sergeant." Gradius shot back angrily, slamming his fist onto the table. Naomi cleared her throat threateningly, making both parties calm down. "Besides, this is a direct order from the Supreme Judge Magister himself. The Inner Circle even agreed upon the action."

Eve backed down with a pained sigh. "I... I see."

"As I was saying," continued Gradius. "the citizens have been conscripted, and they will be made to guard the city itself. They will not put up much resistance for when the Esteans charge in, and will give up their position easily. While this is being done, our force will surprise them by setting fire to the city and then charging in from the back."

The sisters were puzzled, and Eden spoke up. "But... is this city not valuable? Too valuable to burn down?"

"We have the resources. We have the workers at home. Soon this place will become northern Indartis, and we will rebuild it to our standards anyway."

Naomi decided to speak again. "Do you not fear an uprising? Peasants are difficult to calm down when riled. Surely there is a leader amongst them, a mayor or..."

"Already taken care of, your grace." Gradius replied. "The city's mayor was taken care of. The peasants were lead in an original defense by a local mercenary, a self-proclaimed hero by the name of Luna, but she has been imprisoned and will be executed at sunrise."

"I see." Naomi confirmed, trying her hardest to hide her disgust. "Well, color me impressed, Lieutenant. Your battle plan is sound. What will be our move once the Esteans are halted?" 

"With all respect, don't you already know of the Supreme Judge Magister's movements?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Thinking quick to avoid blowing their cover, Eden shook her head. "We've been moving back-and-forth between encampments for a number of weeks now. Being on the move and travelling in a small group eliminates contact with the capital. Tell us, where does his his lawfulness intend to march?"

"On the twin cities, of course." Gradius answered. "With the Esteans halted and hopefully their prince slain or captured, the people of Ebonreach should be easy pickings for the Supreme Judge Magister. We will have our position in southern Esteos back, and the other forces will crumble before us."

Naomi looked away for a moment, trying to feign wandering eyes to hide her surprise at the news. Weiss was likely en route to the valley as they spoke! 

"We will be preparing the camp for the Supreme Judge Magister's arrival. He should make it here by the end of the week; you are free to stay, of course." 

Naomi nodded. "Of course. I look forward to... accompanying his lawfulness. Where are our quarters?"

"One of my men will show you." Gradius answered. "I thank you for your visit, my lady. We will not fail again."

"See to it that you don't." Naomi grumbled as she walked out of the tent, Eve and Eden by her side.

* * *

 

"What are we going to do?" Naomi nearly shouted, trying her best to remain in hushed tones. Their tent was more accommodating than a standard soldier's tent, but still didn't dampen sound. "We can't stay and wait for Weiss to get here. He'll find us out without a hitch!"

Eve huffed. "Well, it would make sense for us to return to Ebonreach, right? If we're going to have to fight the Judge Magister, should it not be somewhere we can defend?"

"Our armies specialize in siege tactics, Eve. You know that." Eden replied. "We stand as good of a chance fighting them in a city as we do repelling them on an open road. And that says nothing of abandoning the people of this city."

Naomi's head perked. "What did they say about the captured mercenary?"

"The one named Luna? That she would be executed by sunrise. Why, Naomi?" asked Eden.

"I think she's our only chance at getting these people out of here." the thief replied. "If we can free her and see that she makes it to the people, perhaps she can rally an escape attempt. The Indartians may be well-geared, but the citizens outnumber them."

Eden sighed. "Perhaps. But that still leaves the Judge Magister. How will we deal with that?"

"That's for Isaac to decide. And you'll have to let him know."

Eve gasped. "What? Why not you?"

"I was born to break into things and break people out of them!" Naomi exclaimed happily before realizing she needed to quiet down. "Besides... you're the ones with flying steeds. Birds. You know what  mean."

"The prince wouldn't like that, would he? You being here alone, I mean."

"No, he wouldn't." Naomi admitted. "And that's exactly why I have to do it without his permission. Please, get back to him. The people mean everything to Isaac; if we do this, then we have the chance to save everyone we can. In the end, I'm expendable."

The Harcrow sisters looked at each others and solemnly nodded. "Very well... promise us you'll be safe?" 

"Of course. It was fun getting to know the two of you." Naomi answered, smiling. "And... when you get back, give Isaac my love. Not in those words exactly, anyway... well, you know what I mean."

"Alright." Eden complied, standing. "Good luck, Naomi. Do your country proud."

* * *

 

In the cover of night, Naomi found it easy to slip around the camp without raising attention. She was able to locate the building being used as a jail; a two-story building that seemed to be the home of a blacksmith re-purposed into a wartime prison. The windows were boarded and a few guards stood out at the perimeter. Though they seemed to be trying to stand vigilant, the night was quite obviously getting to them, and the guard at the front door seemed to be nodding off. 

Naomi made her move, fixing her helmet on her head and walking towards the porch. The guard standing on duty stirred, groggily raising his helmet's visor and lifting his lance off of the wall. "Wha... who goes there?"

"I am Judge Yvette Alexandra Hilde de Brasca of House de Brasca, and you will address me as such. Now act alive, man! You're supposed to be on guard!" scolded Naomi, trying to put the fear of Naga into the man.

The guard stood upright and saluted. "Ah-ah, yes ma'am! Right away, ma'am! Please, forgive me!"

"Stand down. Now please, hand me the keys. I wish to have a word with our 'hero'." 

With a gulp, the guard spoke again. "W-with all due respect, ma'am... L-lieutenant Gradius told us not to open the door for anyone..."

"Hm? What was that?" Naomi asked, placing a hand on her hip. "I don't recall myself answering to the lieutenant. I recall him answering to me. Now, I will ask again. Hand me the keys." 

With nary a word, the guard shakingly placed the keys in the thief's hands and saluted again. Naomi neglected to instruct him to stand down, simply entering the house. 

There were several doors in the abode, so Naomi went to checking the locks on each of them. The first few she jiggled were unlocked but lead only to empty rooms, but several doors later she found a basement door that was locked. Going through the ring of keys she confiscated from the guard, she was able to unlock it and reveal the stairs leading down into the basement.

The basement was littered with assorted tools and scraps of metal, all vaguely lit by a single torch. In the center of the room knelt a single figure, a woman of Naomi's age with long, purple hair dressed in a simple tunic and pants.

The young woman, whom Naomi guessed to be the 'Luna' that was mentioned, looked up at her new visitor. "Ah, another yellow comin' to spit in my direction, maybe kick me a few times. First lass they've sent to do it, though. Do they make all ye Indartian ladies this striking?"

Naomi blushed, shaking her head. "N-not important! Listen, I'm not with the Indartians. I'm here to break you out."

"Oh yeah? Well first ye'll need to work these shackles off my wrists. Can't go nowhere with them." Luna replied, trying to look over her shoulder. 

Naomi nodded. "Yes, just a moment. Hold still..." she told the captive mercenary, grabbing a few tools from inside her coat and getting to work on the shackles. "Who are you, exactly?"

"Ye've come to bail me out of here and ye don't even know who I am?" Luna asked, rubbing her wrists as she was freed. "Luna the Fearless, they call me. I've been putting down bandits for ages in these parts, with my brothers and my pa, rest their souls. Though these yellows are quite a bigger headache than the bandits I'm used to facin'. Still a hero's work is never done, and these yellows have provided me with quite a bit of work to do."

The thief nodded and began scrounging around for equipment to arm the newly freed Luna. "Then perhaps you'd like to work together. Help me and mine."

"Depends. Who's asking?" Luna replied. 

"My name's Naomi. The Indartians think I'm one of their judges here to inspect their position, but once they notice you're gone, my cover will be blown. I'm a servant of Prince Isaac, and we want to free the people of this city. I need your help."

Luna crossed her arms, smiling. "The prince is still kickin', hm? Good, good. Always preferred blue over yellow anyway. Alright, ye've got my help. How are we going to do this?"

"Well... now that you're free, I was hoping we could use you to inspire the people into action, and have them get out of here." Naomi told the mercenary.

"Leave? Why not beat the yellows and take the city back?"

Naomi sighed. "The ruler of Indartis is on his way here to head to one of our cities in the south. He's going to come here on his way, and the people won't be able to stand up to whatever force he's leading."

"I see." Luna mumbled with a sigh. "Yes, that does present a problem. Alright, we'll bust the people out, maybe light a couple o'things on fire, and get our tails out. I'd like a sword and shield in my hands, if it's at all possible."

"You'll have them as soon as I can manage. Shall we get out of here?"

The hero grinned. "I've been waiting for someone to say that since I got here." 

 

 

 


	15. Liberation

Although there were no weapons to be found in the basement or the blacksmith's house (all of them likely having been taken by the Indartians),\ Luna was able to procure a hammer and a long, iron bar to use as makeshift weapons. These proved effective when the two women attempted to leave through the back door; approached by a guard, Luna swung the bar and knocked the guard out with a well-aimed strike.

The strike made a noise, however, prompting some muttering and orders of investigation. Naomi nodded to Luna and began to hurriedly make their way to the center of the town, where all the citizens were staying in makeshift campsites set up in the buildings of the city.

"They've seized the homes and forced the people to stay in groups. Keeping people crowded." Luna whispered as they looked upon the central square of town. "Come, we need to find a way into one of the homes and get some of the people free. I don't wager we stand a chance against the guards on our own."

* * *

 

"She's taking her time, isn't she?" Silas asked, peering out the flap of the main tent. "It's been a few nights. I know it's a ways to travel, but still, this long?"

Silas winced at a strike to his rib. Vesper looked at him with a frown. "Shush, you idiot! Don't you think he's worried enough?"

"I'm just saying... She's my friend too, you know. I'm worried about her just as he is."

Isaac looked up from his palm, having been rubbing his temples in his seat. "Silas. You're my closest friend. I know you wouldn't lie to me." he called out, looking over. "Was I foolish to send them alone?"

"Of course not, Isaac." Silas asserted as he approached. "But... I fear that we may need to stage a rescue mission, should we not receive word soon. Naomi's scrappy, but she needs more than just two soldiers to take on an entire Indartian unit."

"Then we march. We take our chances." Isaac said, rising from his seat. "There has to be a way to avoid the civilians..."

Kasumi approached, shaking her head. "Acting rashly not the key here. Bad course of action to abandon the people."

"I'm not saying we abandon them, Kasumi, but Naomi could need our help!" Isaac replied.

The strategist shook her head. "Naomi knew what she was getting into when she volunteered, Isaac." she asserted in a normal speech pattern. "Have to believe in her."

Isaac sighed. How could he just sit there and do nothing?

"I bring word, milord!" called a voice from outside tent. Inside strode a soldier, who immediately knelt before the prince.

"Arise, soldier. What news do you bring?" Isaac asked. He was hoping for good news, but his heart had sunk.

The soldier stood as he was told, and pointed to tent exit. "There approach a black pegasus and a griffin from the direction of the Indartian position!"

Isaac smiled. They were back at last! Without a word, he immediately exited his tent and looked to the sky, trying to pick out figures in the night sky. As the got closer, he was able identify Eve and Eden's mounts, much to his delight. 

His delight was shattered when he did not see Naomi riding with either of them.

"Where is she?" Isaac asked sorrowfully, fearing the worst. 

Eden stepped off of her mount first, taking a deep breath. "When we last saw her, she was fine." she clarified, helping to alleviate Isaac's panic. "We bring grave news, however. The Supreme Judge Magister is on his way to Ebonreach. He'll be there within the week, with an army to outmatch your own."

Isaac's eyes widened. Kasumi wasn't kidding when she said they would be catching the attention of the greater powers of the region. 

"Is this it, then?" he muttered, taken aback. "What can be done?"

"If I may, my lord, I cannot divulge a strategy to defeat them, but I can at least detail the attack that Weiss is likely to make." Cedric said as he stepped forward. "He likely brings several towering siege weapons, and many archers. Such is his preferred tactic. Enemies have no choice but to wade in close and face his elite spearmen instead, after having already been worn down at range." 

"Must find a way to eliminate threat of archers and siege weapons. Face foot-soldiers on even ground. Hope for best." Kasumi mumbled to herself, pacing as she started to think out possible tactics. 

Isaac stood with his blank expression for a moment still. There would be no easy way out of this. 

"Isaac. Hey, listen to me." Silas said, taking his friend by the shoulders and shaking him. "Calm down. Let's think about this, alright? We're here to help you. Don't tap out on us just yet." 

Isaac closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I just..."

"You just nothing." Silas continued. "People are going to look to you for guidance. You need to keep on a strong face for them. It's going to be fine. Naomi's going to be fine." he urged before looking to Eden and Eve. "Where is she, anyway?"

"She's coordinating a breakout with a prisoner to rally the citizens of the city to break away from Indartis." Eve clarified. "Should they be successful, they can get the conscripted people out of there, to safety."

"Then that's all we could ask for." Isaac replied, incredibly happy that Naomi was alright. "We should choose our battleground with Weiss while we still can, then. But where?"

Thormund huffed. "With siege engines everywhere, I doubt it will make a difference. Either we let them crush our walls with their catapults and then move on to us, or let them crush us out in the open."

"Couldn't we use wind?" Gale mentioned. Carn nodded and pointed to him in agreement. 

Landon shook his head. "No. We may be powerful, my fellow mages, but there will be more stones in the sky than we can simply blow away. Would it be that we could goad mother nature into conjuring a storm, but even then..."

"A storm?" Kasumi spoke, looking up. "Strong enough winds to combat the stones. Yes, could work."

"You would propose that we find some way to force nature into creating a storm for our convenience. Funny, strategist." Lizeth joked, a smirk on her face. "Let us talk of actual possibilities."

"Not creating a storm." Kasumi clarified, standing up and walking to Lizeth. "Going to one that's already there."

The prince tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean, Kasumi? No storm would last long enough." 

"No natural storm." the tactician replied. "The Maelstrom, Isaac. Constant gale-force winds. Would render arrows and catapult stones far less of a threat."

"That's... brilliant." Daud agreed, causing Kasumi's face to redden. "With that in place, we can at least manage to strike them up-front. We'll have to work for it, but..."

Nah, who was standing with Vesper in relative silence, could see the pain in Isaac's eyes when such a thing was suggested. Still, it was their best bet to survive the onslaught of Weiss' forces, of that there was no doubt. "Isaac." she called out, walking to the prince. "You can do this. You can do it for the people."

"Yes, you... you're right." Isaac whispered. He took a deep breath and looked up at everyone around him, nodding. "Please forgive me, everyone. I thought I would be prepared to deal with something like this, but I'm only human after all."

Silas placed a hand on Isaac's shoulder. "Let's trust Naomi to get the job done on her end, and do the same on our own. We can do this, I assure you." 

Isaac nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Silas. Everyone. I don't know what I'd do without any of you. Let us put up the fight of our lives at the Maelstrom. Hopefully, it will be enough."

* * *

 

Luna stood atop the roof of a building in the central square, a recently acquired sword and shield in her hands. Within the square stood many of the recently freed citizens, armed with their makeshift arms and armor, standing over the bodies of their former captors. 

Thrusting her sword into the air, the hero spoke. "Here me now, good people! Your Prince fights for you and this land in the south! Will ye have him do it alone?"

Those gathered in the square let out a loud shout of "No!" as they raised their weapons in the air.

"Will ye let these yellows keep ye and yer families captive for yet another night as your Prince struggles against them and many others?" she continued.

Yet again she was met by a shout of "No!"

"Then follow me! We've taken care of the guards here, but the Indartian soldiers here are gathering to try and put the lot of ye back in shackles! Fight them, and earn yer freedom!" she finished, thrusting her sword into the air one last time to the sound of a loud rallying cry. 

Naomi clapped from atop the roof besides Luna, smiling. "Well, that went well. Do you think the escape will be as easy?"

"These people have fires lit in them, and the opposition is few." Luna replied assuredly. "We'll be away from this place in the hour." 

The gates of the central square were easily broken down, and Luna led the escapees in a charge onto the open road leading to where the Esteans were camped. The Indartian soldiers, despite having been readied, stood little chance against the rush of escapees. 

As Luna cut down a soldier in her way, she heard a shout from behind her and spun around to spot Lieutenant Gradius rushing at her, sword in hand. She rose her shield in the nick of time, blocking a harsh strike that buckled her knees.

"Here to finish the job, aye?" Luna grunted as she shoved the sword away. "Ye don't look so high-and-mighty when I've got a sword in my hand."

Gradius swung forward again, catching Luna's shield a second time. "A momentary anomaly that I hope to rectify." he replied angrily. "This uprising will be the death of me, the event that marks my name in infamy forever. But I can still garner some personal satisfaction by removing that pretty head of yours."

"Not interested, friend." Luna spat back, using her shield to push the sword away again. She followed this with a stab forward that was parried by Gradius.

Gradius stepped forward and swung his sword high, prompting Luna to duck. The lieutenant then brought his sword down from overhead. Luna instinctively brought up her own sword, blocking the strike but buckling her knees under the force. She supported herself by driving her shield's rim into the ground.

"Take this!" Gradius shouted, driving his foot into Luna's stomach and knocking her back onto the ground. Once she was on her back, Gradius pointed the blade at her throat, rendering her incapable of moving. 

"This is all you Esteans deserve! The broken remnants of a nation that saw itself fit to order the others around!" He shouted. Luna closed her eyes, not responding.

Gradius' strike was stopped by a blade piercing his back, held by Naomi. "Luna, get up!" she shouted as Gradius gasped for air. Luna nodded and pushed the blade at her neck aside, then grasped her own blade and thrust it through Gradius' stomach.

"Should've... should've known..." he mumbled as he fell to the side, dead.

Luna got up, breathing heavily. "Th-thank ye. Oh, I had come close to death a few times, but ye never get used to it... Oh, now where were we?"

"The citizens are escaping en masse. We should get out of here." Naomi replied. "I bet Isaac would appreciate the sight. We should beat the Supreme Judge Maigster at this rate."

Luna nodded. "Right... Never served a prince before. Hope he's not uppity."

"Not at all." Naomi replied, smiling. "There's a lot I could tell you about him, but... Let's do it on the road."

With that said, the two women joined the exodus of the citizens to rendezvous with the prince.

* * *

 

"Okay, Carn... lift with your back, not your legs..." Carn muttered to himself as he attempted to lift a stack of ration crates. "Wait, was that it?" he continued to mumble, trying and failing to lift the box. 

"Here, let me help you with that." called a voice that Carn vaguely recognized. He looked behind him to see Eve, the younger of the Harcrow sisters, walk over to assist him. 

Carn shook his head. "N-no, I've got it."

"Don't be silly, you'll break your back. Lift with your legs, not your back." she instructed, taking the top half of crates on her own. "What's your name?"

The sorcerer blinked. She was being awfully friendly. "Um... Carn. My name's Carn."

"Eve." replied the young woman, walking alongside the sorcerer towards the caravans. 

"Uh..." Carn muttered, accompanied with a cough. "You're not going to yell at me or give me odd looks?"

Eve shook her head. "No? Why would I?"

"Well, the dark mage thing, for one." Carn admitted. He had faced quite a bit of scrutiny even amongst the members of Isaac's inner circle of officers. "I lived in Arcymis for most of my life. It's different here."

Nodding, Eve placed her crate within the caravan. "Well, it's not a problem to me." she answered, looking at Carn with a smile. "I mean, Indartis and Arcymis have been historical allies for decades. Fear of dark magic isn't widespread where I'm from. It's practical."

"Yes, you understand!" Carn exclaimed with glee. "Even among my peers at the academy, they would always put down what dark magic could achieve. Yet I kept dreaming!"

"Dreaming of what?" Eve asked, genuinely interested. 

Carn smiled. "Imhullu. It's a legendary tome, you see, of the highest caliber. And someday I wish to find it and wield its power for myself!"

"To do what? That sounds like quite the tool."

"Well, I do like following Isaac around, he's quite the tolerable fellow." Carn answered. "And not many people will mess with him if I have Imhullu in my hands. Presumably."

Eve blinked. "Presumably? You don't know what it does?"

Carn shook his head. "Nope. But that's part of the fun of learning, isn't it?" 

With a laugh, Eve shook her head. "You're... crazy, Carn. But it's funny. Do talk to me again sometime." she added as she walked away, leaving Carn with all the remaining work.


	16. Clash at the Maelstrom

The Maelstorm continued to rage as always as Isaac's force approached. According to Eden and Eve's predictions, Weiss' army would be passing by within the next six hours. In the interim, a small camp was set up as was the norm. 

"Solid enough plan, I suppose..." Daud muttered to himself. He wished he had written home before heading out. It was likely they would lose, he knew that. Even the seemingly unshakable Kasumi was deep in her worries, a sight that pained the knight to see. There was so much to be said, but he could not bring himself to do so. 

Instead, he merely knelt down and brushed his hand over the ground. Solid ground, likely to have been fertile soil before the maelstrom appeared and spewed salty water in every direction. Sometimes he really missed farming. 

"What can be done, do you suppose?" Kasumi asked as she approached the armored man. She was getting far better with proper speech when it came to people she was comfortable with, and there were few she was more comfortable with than Daud. "About the Maelstrom, I mean... It hardly appeals to visitors."

Daud let out a slight chuckle at the joke. "Get enough men to toss stones into it until it fills up, maybe. No, I believe our only hope is that sword in Weiss' hands. Naga will deliver us... I hope."

"You've great faith, I see." Kasumi observed as she gazed into the distance, eyeing the massive torrent. "I am... envious."

"Not a pious one?" Daud asked, turning to face her. "That's fine, it doesn't make you any the lesser."

Kasumi shook her head. "No, I... It's not that. Just... incredibly frightened. So much rides on decisions... my decisions. Every man in this army is a death I can prevent."

"We just had this talk, with Isaac, didn't we?" Daud asked, placing his hands on his hips. "Listen. These men know what they're doing and they're getting into. Best that they have a strategist that cares for their lives like you do, but many a man will fall in the making of a nation. It hurts. But it's a reality that we can only abate the best we can."

Taken aback by the non-patronizing response, Kasumi rushed forward and wrapped as much of Daud as she could in a hug, trying not to cry. Daud smiled and wrapped his own arms around her, taking solace in the calm before the storm.

* * *

 

Nah took a deep breath, trying to fight the sick feeling that being near the Maelstrom gave her. She cradled her dragonstone in her hands, trying to draw strength from it. 

"Lady Voice?" called Duncan. Nah had to fight the urge to roll her eyes; the man had fawned over her since her arrival, trying to cater to her every need. What could he possibly want now?

In the spirit of politeness, Nah turned and smiled. "Yes, Duncan, what is it?"

"I... I would just like to thank you." Duncan continued, taking a knee. This was a surprise; Duncan was speaking genuinely, and less out of reverence than usual. Nah dropped the false politeness act and went straight into concern. What was bringing this on?

Tilting her head, Nah spoke up. "I... whatever for, Duncan?"

The priest looked up and smiled. "For giving these men and women hope, my lady." he answered. "We wait for the most difficult battle we have faced. Most would lose all will to fight, but... These people have faith in their nation, their prince, and their Voice. It's amazing to see. Humbling, really. I am proud to be here."

Nah smiled sincerely, walked over, and planted a motherly kiss on the top of Duncan's head. "I'm not much for the worship thing, but... your words are a great reassurance for me, Duncan. Thank you. May... Um... May Naga light your path."  


Duncan nodded. "I hope to see you when this all done, my lady."

* * *

As predicted, several hours later brought the sight of yellow banners flying in the rough winds, approaching over the nearby hills. Siege towers and rolling catapults lagged behind the main force, which outnumbered the Esteans by a fair amount. At the forefront was a group of several horsemen; four upon closer examination. One of the horsemen rode upon a striking red horse; Isaac could only surmise him to be Weiss. 

The four Indartian horsemen rode ahead of the main army, while Isaac rode forward as well with Daud, Silas, Cedric, and Kasumi with him. He caught eye of Weiss for the first time when they approached; he was a man with obvious emotional scars, yet he held himself with pride and a regal air. One would never guess of his humble origins.

Alongside him were three others; the most noticeable of the three was a sullen man around Weiss' age, with long red hair that covered half of his face. A purple headband was wrapped around her forehead beneath his hairline. He glared at Isaac with contempt, making the Prince even more nervous than before. 

Next was the only woman of the group, a woman in her early 30's with lavender hair. Hers was a gentle face, but judging by the look of her armor and the wicked lance she had in her hand, she was likely anything but.

Lastly, a tall man with spiky blonde hair who kept a pretentious air about him. He was also outfitted in a large suit of armor, and carried with him a golden axe with inscriptions upon the blade. 

"Prince Isaac." Weiss began. "How unfortunate that our first meeting must be under such dire circumstances. And the weather! I hesitate to ask if we may move this to one of your castles. Perhaps I could recommend a few interior designers as well; I hear that Indartian yellow is quite the fashion these days for drapery."

Silas groaned, but Isaac shot him a look before speaking. "Supreme Judge Magister Weiss, you bring forth an army upon my country and my people, and you do so with a relic of my family in your hands. I cannot allow this to pass. Turn around, or we will be forced to resist your passage."

The spiky-haired man let out a mockingly boisterous laugh. "Resist, eh? That's a funny way of saying you'll roll over and die!"

"Bite your tongue!" Daud shouted angrily, pointing Reginleif forward. "Speak another word and you shall have no tongue to speak with!"

Weiss cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, please. Gallius, I shall handle this without your quips. Freya, Mordred, do keep an eye on our dear peer."

Huffing, Gallius minded his place and allowed his lord to speak.

"Carrying on... by relic, do you mean this?" Weiss asked, removing a sheathed sword from his belt. "Take it, then. I've no use for it." he continued, tossing the blade to Isaac.

The Prince caught the blade and looked to inspect the sword and scabbard. The scabbard itself was a royal blue, the standard color of Esteos. Adorning the scabbard were several diamonds and yellow sapphires, each linked to each other with swirling white lines decorating the scabbard. 

The hilt of the sword itself was incredibly ornate, yet strong. It was a silver rapier handle, the design twisting and curving in beautiful shapes that still formed enough of a shell to protect the hand of the wielder. Isaac drew the blade, and was surprised at the shape. The body of the blade was black, and the edges were a striking silver without any tarnishes or dents despite apparent centuries of use. The blade didn't have a tip; it was a flat edge at the end, making the blade rectangular. Upon gripping the sword, the black body of the blade lit up with glowing script of a light-blue color. Isaac couldn't read the script, but the glowing felt comforting. 

"So... this is Curtana." Isaac remarked, marveling at the blade. "It's as if it was forged yesterday... But why give it so freely?"

"One thing you must understand, my dear Prince, is that I hold no love for my country. I hold no love for its traditions, or its values and practices. And that includes its silly symbols of office. A man's leadership should be the only symbol he needs." Weiss replied. 

Cedric scoffed. "No love for your country indeed. Wasting our might upon this fruitless campaign, damaging our people and our reputation alike. Why, Weiss?"

"Ah, Cedric. So you do defy me after all. When I heard the news, I could scarcely believe it." stated the Supreme Judge Magister. "What a pity, that a man so dedicated to the old ideals of his country would be the first to turn on her."

"And how sad that a man who knows nothing of my struggles to uphold my homeland now sits upon her throne!" Cedric shot back. "I just ask you this, why?"

Weiss sighed, and began to explain. "I was a boy who was raised on the streets, Cedric. Mordred and I spent a lowly existence begging for and stealing food. It was by the grace of our own talent and potential that we were able to ascend the legal ladder and earn a place within the inner circle. Now that I have power, I will not see the lowly of this country kicked to the dirt while the pompous nobles feast upon grapes and beckon courtesans to their chambers."

"And so you invade Esteos?" Isaac asked. 

"Indartis is a crowded place. With your government gone, your land is now free for the taking. Your land will serve well to house my people, Prince. That's not difficult to understand, is it?"

Isaac was taken aback. He had not expected such noble motives from a man that Cedric described so negatively. History had always seen Indartis as a rigid place of crushingly strict government, a poor man's nightmare; Weiss obviously intended to change that.

But the Prince could not sacrifice his homeland to assist in that aim. 

"There is no chance we will see you gone from here, Judge Magister?" Isaac asked one last time. 

"Save you giving up and handing over the control of your cities to us, then no." Weiss shot back. 

Isaac took a deep breath. "Then, a battle you shall have. Prepare yourselves." he concluded, yanking on Whisper's reins to to return to his own army. His own entourage followed him, leaving Weiss and his three fellow Judge Magisters on their own.

"I fear I must once again ask too much of you, old friend." Weiss spoke, looking to Mordred. "But if we fail to beat back these fools, then the rest of the continent may lose their fear of our armies. I'm relying on that infallible blade of yours to finish the job."

"My blade exists to serve you, Weiss." Mordred replied, bowing before Weiss atop his horse. 

* * *

 

"Soldiers of Esteos, now hear this!" Isaac shouted as he rode his horse back-and-forth in front of his gathered soldiers, Curtana drawn and glowing in his raised hand. His cloak flapped in the fierce winds, but he appeared unfazed. "We fight an enemy greater in number than us, a host from the east that threatens to spread over the once proud land that we call home to this day!"

"He gives good speeches." Vesper whispered, earning a small smile from Thormund.

The light emanating from the script on Curtana's blade provided a constant indicator of Isaac's position, acting like a sort of beacon as he galloped back and forth. "We fight now not for monetary gain or prestige. We fight, so that our children and our children's children may have a land they can be proud to call home! We fight to drove these interlopers away from our homeland! Do you stand with me?" he asked, stopping Whisper.

He was greeted by a loud cry from his host of soldiers, all of them pledging their faith and will to the prince.

"Then follow me! Today, we make history! Today, we avenge the memory of my father, your King Steiner! Today, we fight for our lives!" The Prince shouted, turning and facing the incoming wave of yellow-clad soldiers. "On me! For Esteos!"

Whisper broke into a gallop, leading the Estean charge against the oncoming Indartian front-line, as the prince focused upon the tome he held and the newly acquired Curtana. Thrusting the blade forward, a bright bolt of blue lightning erupted forth and rocketed at the Indartians, ripping through those it hit and driving a hole into the opposition. 

* * *

 

It was a solid start, one that Daud intended to take advantage of. He couldn't see any of the commanders that were present at the brief summit before the charge, and so he simply resolved to play the part of the champion and attract the attention of as many soldiers as he could. 

From atop his massive horse, the length of Reginleif was a godsend and allowed him to cut down several approaching enemies. "Thanks, Faye." he muttered to himself, trying to pay attention to whatever was around him amid the chaos. It was a surprise that his horse was obeying him so well; over the past few days Valiant had been behaving moreso than normal, but Daud still hadn't expected to be able to ride him into battle. It appeared he was wrong. 

A thunk was heard as Daud felt a hard impact on his thankfully plated shoulder. Turning his head, he saw the splintered remains of an arrow flail out of the air, having bounced off of his shoulder. Looking in the distance, he could spot the archer responsible; the purple haired woman from the summit, Judge Magister Freya. She was quite a ways away, but her aim was true she was able to compensate for the harsh winds unlike the common archer. Daud quickly threw his shielded arm up and blocked another arrow, grunting from the force behind the projectile. She had eyes for him, and it would only hinder him until either he or she was dead. 

He had his objective. It wouldn't be long now.

* * *

 

"Naga preserve me!" Duncan cried as he cut into a nearby lancer's armor with his sharp steel axe. His primary concern, as always, was to heal those around him, but with so many enemies around it was impossible to stand around and not defend himself.

An explosion erupted a short distance away from Duncan's position, alerting him. Had someone been hurt?

Seeing Gale atop his black horse, tossing fireballs at those surrounding him answered the question. Still, for all his magical prowess, Gale was no immortal, and would be overwhelmed in time. Duncan charged forward and caught a glimpse of a flash of brown in his left eye; Lizeth galloped forward atop a brown steed, a javelin in hand and likely going after the same thing as he. Charging to Duncan's right was Thormund, hammer in hand and yelling louder than any present. Yet still throughout the din of combat, Duncan could hear a jovial flute tune from an discernible location. It lifted his heart if only slightly to hear Vesper trying her best as always. 

"For the Voice!" Duncan shouted as he followed Lizeth and Thormund, cutting down another footsoldier before he caught a better glimpse at Gale. The Indartian soldiers were no longer charging at the Dark Mage; instead, they stood by as a man with red hair hoisting a deadly Killing Edge approached. Judge Magister Mordred, Weiss' right hand man, had come to greet them personally. 

"Which of you is first?" he called out, raising his sword. 

Gale coughed. "Well... I suppose that would be me." 

Mordred huffed. "Slay him." he called out, prompting the sound of a spell being cast from behind him. 

Gale felt the wind being taken out of his lungs as he was grasped harshly by the talons of a griffon and yanked off of his steed. In the confusion he could hardly tell what had happened; looking down, he saw a sickening purple beam of energy strike forth from the tome of a dark mage that stood behind Mordred. Such a spell would have likely killed him. 

The griffon slowly descended to the ground by the dark mage, and Gale heard a voice from above call out to him. "When I get close, be ready to fall and strike him down! He's been decimating those nearby!" called the voice, whom Gale could only assume to be Eden. The fact that her griffin was able to fly in the harsh winds generated by the maelstrom was nothing short of miraculous.

"Alright!" Gale replied, not having any time to argue. He felt his shoulders being released, and so he raised his blade and brought it down upon the Dark Mage with the aid of gravity, cleaving into the man's shoulder and killing him. 

Mordred snickered and shook his head. "Very well, then I must dirty my blade after all. I ask again, who shall go first?"

Gale returned to the side of Thormund and Lizeth, raising his sword alongside the two of them. 

"All of you then? Fair enough." replied the Judge Magister, stepping forward. "I will teach you the meaning of pain." 

* * *

 

On the other side of the battlefield, Silas was leading a few soldiers of his own. In his immediate sight were Varos and Cael, and he knew that Ririka and Alora were around somewhere. With Cael as backup, he and Varos were making good progress in cutting through the approaching soldiers on their end. Still, they seemed endless, and Silas wondered how long they would be able to hold out before being taken over.

"Still prefer this to dining halls and council chambers?" Cael shouted, trying to lighten the mood somehow.

Silas couldn't help but laugh, though his face immediately reverted to a hard glare when he blocked a strike that nearly cleaved him in two. With a heave, he pushed forward and kneed his attacker in the stomach and followed it with a sword to the neck. "Can't say I wouldn't mind a good feast by now, but you're right on the council chamber!" Silas yelled back. "That reminds me, Isaac better damn well be feeding us after all this is finished!"

"I don't think he'd have it any other way!" Cael replied, leaping back and launching another arrow into the gullet of an approaching knight. Silas had to admire the man's perseverance despite his cowardice. "How's your arm?"

Silas had nearly forgotten that he was using his left hand to fight, having practiced as such for several days since the incident at the Arcymian fort. His right arm had recovered since, but he almost preferred his left at this point despite years of training. For some reason, it simply felt right (so to speak). "It's fine, I think! Imagine the look on their faces when I switch hands!"

Cael laughed in turned, but his countenance became grave when he spotted a new figure approaching. One of the Indartian Guardians, clad in armor and wielding his golden axe, approached with an angry sneer upon his face. 

"I am Gallius. Come close so I can kill you faster!" he shouted to the nearby Esteans. A few lance-wielding soldiers did indeed rush forward in what they had intended to be a coordinated strike, yet Gallius simply stepped back and swung in a wide arc, mortally wounding the three soldiers in a single swipe. 

Silas sighed. "I've had about enough of these armored bastards." he muttered, looking to Varos and nodding. "Shall we?"

"Til death takes us." Varos replied, nodding in return. 

"Morbid bastard." Silas mumbled as he walked forward.

* * *

 

 Isaac had kept himself relatively safe during the battle, having hopped off of Whisper earlier to take the fight to the ground. Curtana glowed even brighter than before, and felt incredibly fitting in his hands. He was able to move with a great speed and grace, outmaneuvering many opponents as if his blade weighed nothing. The lack of a pointed tip was hardly a detriment, the square end being sharp enough to pierce.

Ned stood by the prince, having led his own detachment into battle alongside him. Wielding his blade in an icepick grip, he darted from foe-to-foe, taking each by surprise with a blade to the back. Any attention he may have drawn was instead taken by Carn, who as always was putting his own flamboyant personal flair on his spells. With the occasional laugh and clever quip involving various degrees of doneess in cooked steaks, he flung fireballs left and right as the prince shot out his own blast of lightning from time to time.

All of this was highlighted by Eve's presence, blasting away with magic just as Carn was. The two flung fireballs in tandem, lighting the darkened battlefield despite the heavy rainfall and cloud cover. 

Still, the battle was one of attrition. The Esteans were making no visible gains, nor were the Indartians, but the Esteans would be the first to run out of reinforcements.

"Isaac! A word!" Kasumi called from afar. Something seemed wrong in her voice. 

The prince quickly turned. "Ned! I leave this to you!" he shouted, doubling back to the relatively safe position where Kasumi stood. "What is it, Kasumi? We're not gaining any ground here."

"I know." Kasumi replied. "And... bad news."

* * *

 

Thormund's heavy hammer swung down to the ground, completely missing the quick Mordred. Lizeth launched her javelin forth to try and catch the Judge Magister on the course of his dodge, but he managed to lean back and avoid it with an inhuman speed. 

"Back, you!" Mordred shouted, slamming his fist into Thormund's face and swinging his blade with the other hand, catching Thormund's arm and drawing blood. Thormund groaned and backed away for a moment, prompting Lizeth to move in closer with her steel lance. Duncan moved forth as well, trying to overwhelm Mordred. 

It was to no avail, however, as the Judge Magister seemed able to block and duck under each strike that came his way, out-maneuvering both attackers at the same time. It was only when Gale began shooting forth concentrated gusts of wind that Mordred seemed to be struggling, making the blade-wielding magister grit his teeth as he focused on his evasive maneuvers.

"Three on one, hardly fair." Mordred teased as his feet danced around blasts of wind while his sword blocked all around him.

"Make that four!" shouted Thormund, re-approaching the battle after tending to his arm. 

Mordred's gritted frown turned into a grin. "No... make that three." he shot back. In a quick series of calculated movements, the swordsman kicked Lizeth away, disarmed Duncan with a slice to the armored wrist to fracture the hand, and grabbed the axe-less priest by the shoulder. 

"Witness the mastery of a Trueblade!" Mordred shouted. In the blink of an eye, he twirled his blade around, fastened his grasp on Duncan's shoulder, and drove his blade through the helpless Cleric's back.

Duncan's eyes shot completely open as he gasped, falling to his knees as the blade was removed from him. He tried to utter out a short prayer for mercy, but found himself unable to speak before collapsing. 

"No!" Lizeth and Thormund shouted in conjunction, both of them rushing forward to press Mordred and buy Duncan some time if he had any left.

* * *

 

Weiss admired the battle from afar, flanked by one of his advisors. "They were smart to engage us here. Save for dear Freya, our archers are useless here, as are our towers." 

"We will overcome them soon." spoke the advisor. "Are you certain you don't wish to engage the prince personally?"

The Supreme Judge Magister smirked. "Oh, in time. In time."

* * *

 

"Duncan..." Isaac muttered, taken aback by the news. "If this man is causing so much trouble, then that entire flank is in trouble. What can we do?"

Kasumi rubbed the bridge of her nose as she quickly processed the situation. "Ugh... recommend engaging him with equally skilled swordsman. Mordred is a Trueblade, say the soldiers... mayhaps Varos can compete. Experience may make up for Mordred's talent." _  
_

"Make it so." Isaac replied. "Try to get someone to Duncan if it isn't too late. Have we had any word from Daud?"

The tactician blinked. How could she have overlooked him? "I... I should-"

"No, I'll do it. Carn, Ned and Eve can come with me. They need help anyway." The prince replied. "Have faith, Kasumi. Please."

"I will try." Kasumi conceded. "Be careful."

The prince nodded and walked back to the battle, leaving Kasumi to further analyze the battle on her own.

* * *

Varos and Silas had managed to confound the slow-moving Gallius, moving faster than he could swing. Still, his rock-solid defense was nigh impenetrable even to a mighty swordmaster such as Varos. 

 _"With a well placed shot, Cael could finish this easily."_  Silas thought to himself as he banged his sword against Gallius' armor again. _"But we need that helmet out of the way first."  
_

"Cover me, Varos!" Silas shouted, slipping behind Gallius. As Varos swung with greater intensity and dodged Gallius' counterattack. Silas sheathed his blade, leapt up, and grasped onto Gallius' massive pauldrons. With a heave, he lifted himself up and was able to climb the fortress of armor.

"What... what are you doing?" Gallius demanded. He prepared to swing his axe upward, but Varos grabbed hold of Gallius' arm to immobilize it best as he could.

Silas smirked and brought his blade to the straps keeping the helmet in place. "Oh, you know... helping you get some sun." he teased, prying the helmet away just as Varos was shaken off. "Now, Cael!" SIlas shouted, leaping off the armor and rolling away.

"Please hit!" Cael shouted to himself, loosing an arrow straight at Gallius' newly revealed face. The Guardian's last expression was one of fright as the arrow drove itself into his skull. Gallius fell back with a thunderous thud, dead.

"That makes one! Three to go!" Silas proclaimed. "Now we just try to hold this place as best we can."

The position was approached by a messenger, who saluted Silas and Varos. "Sir!" he shouted. "Lady Kasumi requests Master Varos' presence on the western flank to neutralize the Trueblade threat!"

"Never a dull moment, it seems." Varos mused. "Be well, Silas. Death may not have us yet."

* * *

Nah was surprised that she heard ruffling around the front of her tent back at the base camp. She grasped her dragonstone tightly, fearful that it may have been Indartian intruders. Instead, Vesper entered the tent, her eyes giving away a deep exhaustion.

"M-my lady." she managed to say as she approached. "I... I just couldn't watch anymore."

"I know, child. Come here." Nah replied, trying to comfort Vesper by embracing her in a hug. "They will handle things well enough. Stay here with me. I will protect you."

Vesper started to quietly sob into Nah's sleeve. "It's... it's just..." 

"Speak, Vesper. I'm here for you."

"They... Duncan... He didn't make it..."

Nah's eyes widened and immediately her mind returned to the memory of Duncan's heartfelt giving of thanks. "I... I need to get out there." she muttered, only loud enough for Vesper to hear.

"No, you musn't! You aren't well!" Vesper protested. "Please, milady, the Prince will be fine!"

"I cannot stand by while my... my faithful, are killed without so much as a word from me. I let Duncan down; I don't intend to repeat that mistake."

Vesper took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. "Then... then let me at least come with you, my lady."

"Vesper..." Nah muttered. "Did you not come here to escape from the battle?"

"I came to be by your side. You're like the mother I never had, Lady Nah. I'd rather not let you off alone."

Nah smiled. "Then... I believe there is something I wish to try."

* * *

 

Daud's charge against Freya had largely been fruitless, and even the stubborn knight felt like he was trying to attack a brick wall. For every line he managed to break through, he would find that Freya had moved behind yet another advancing line of soldiers. It was infuriating and it was dangerous, and Daud wasn't sure how much longer his luck with blocking the arrows was going to last. Were it not for the wind perpetuated by the Maelstrom, he would have surely been dead with an arrow in each eye.

 "Daud!" called the prince as he approached with Ned, Eve, and Carn in tow. Daud could already feel the pressure waning off of his postition, but why did the prince have to come? With the arrows flying through the air, he was in great danger. 

The knight raised his shield to block his vitals from view and pulled Isaac close, shielding him as well. "There's a skilled archer afoot, milord, and she's able to shoot well against the wind. You have to fall back and let me handle this."

"And let you get shot at her mercy?" Isaac retorted. "Absolutely not. I'm here to help."

Daud groaned. "I have to ask you to-"

"Daud, as your prince and your sovereign, I'm afraid I won't give ground here. You will have my help whether you like it or not." Isaac asserted. "We don't have much time, we need to depose her immediately. What can we do?"

Sighing in defeat, Daud buckled under the force of yet another arrow strike. "I... I believe flanking her while I keep her attention is the best course of action. Ned and Eve are the fastest, and would be best suited. You, Carn and I can maintain our place here. But I must once again urge caution."

"Duly noted." Isaac replied. "Eve! Ned! Split up and flank the archer!"

"We heard you!" Ned replied, weaving into the thick of battle to approach Freya. Eve, despite not being able to take to the air, was still quite capable of goading her pegasus into a gallop. 

Isaac looked down at his tome and huffed. The pages within were quickly crumbling away into dust, heralding its depletion. Luckily the prince had a wind tome in reserve, and it was as good of a time as any to use it.

"How's the new blade?" Daud asked, swinging Reginleif about to keep soldiers away while keeping his eyes on Freya. 

"Incredible. It feels like an extension of my arm!" Isaac replied, fighting noticeably more offensively than usual. It seemed to be working for him, considering the speed at which he could swing his deadly weapon.

Daud couldn't help but smile. The prince had grown considerably, and Daud was realizing it more with each day. 

Carn's arrival was quite well-timed, seeing as his wind tome had come in handy to further distort the turbulent air around them, protecting them further against Freya's arrows. 

Enough time was bought to where Ned was able to strike at Freya's bow, splintering the wood in two and rendering the weapon useless. Freya turned and shouted incoherently as she blocked Ned's second strike with her armored wrist. Ned backed away, having accomplished his mission and not looking for a fight; this was especially true when Freya removed her imposing lance from her back and pointed at the assassin.

"She's all yours." Ned told Daud as he returned to him and the prince, patting the knight on the back. 

Daud groaned and assumed a defensive stance as Freya approached. The Judge Magister eyed Daud's golden armor and lance, and huffed. "So... you must be the one that dispatched Gunther at Ebonreach. I hear they call you a champion."

"They call me that sometimes, yes." Daud retorted, sizing up his opponent. "Do you think you would have fared any better?"

Freya smirked. "Why don't we find out?"

* * *

 

Nah stepped out of her tent and gazed into the distance, while Vesper trailed close behind.

"Vesper, grab my shoulder. Keep your sword close." Nah commanded. While apprehensive, Vesper complied and placed her hand upon the Voice's shoulder.

With a deep breath, Nah grasped her dragonstone in one hand and raised it towards the sky. She was quickly enveloped in a bright pink light, and Vesper felt herself being flung into the air. The spectacle was so bright that she was unable to open her eyes. Her trip into the air ended gently, however, as she felt herself rested upon something. Opening her eyes, she found herself atop Nah's draconic form, much like a wyvern rider. 

"M-my my lady! I'm not worthy!" Vesper protested.

"Nonsense!" Nah argued in return, her voice echoing with an otherworldly distortion. "Sit tight and get your flute ready. We'll give these people a sight worth fighting for."

* * *

 

Thormund grunted as he dropped his hammer in defeat. He had several wounds all over his person, all inflicted by Mordred's incredible speed and skill. Lizeth and Gale had retreated upon Thormund's insistence that they get treated for their wounds, with Eden doing her best to rush them away. Thormund had fully intended to sacrifice himself to spare them, and it seemed his time had come.

"Any last words?" Mordred asked, pointing his blade at Thormund's neck. "You weren't bad, you deserve that much."

"I've no regrets. I've helped the Voice live a fuller life. Do it." Thormund spat. 

Mordred nodded. "Very well then. Prepare yourself.

Thormund closed his eyes and heard a blade swing through the air. He did not recoil, but was surprised when the sound he heard was that of steel-on-steel. He re-opened his eyes and saw another blade intercepting Mordred's on his behalf. 

"What is the meaning of this!?" Mordred shouted, looking up. Varos grunted as he pressed his strength against the opposing swordsman's. 

Varos looked down to Thormund. "I'll handle things from here. Live to fight another day."

"Thank you." Thormund replied. Though it shamed him to do it, he backed away and retreated, leaving Varos to take care of things. 

Mordred broke free of the deadlock and glared at his new challenger. "It takes some kind of craven to deprive a man of a warrior's death."

"On the contrary. There is no delight in taking a life." Varos retorted. "Thus I will take yours with a heavy heart."

"Cocky for an old man." Mordred concluded, forgoing any further words and raising his blade to fight. Varos did the same, trying to read his opponent. He had no intention of dying here, with so much left to do.

Mordred made the first move, stepping forward with a downward slash. Varos leapt back and ran forward, swinging his blade to the left. Mordred turned his blade vertically and blocked the strike, then attempted a kick to Varos' hip. Varos backed away again and thrusted forward, which Mordred sidestepped. 

"You're very skilled." Varos observed. "You'd put some of the noble swordsmen of your land to shame."

Mordred grunted and pressed the attack once more, swinging left and right. Varos blocked both, and then turned his blade to guard against a third strike. Mordred was playing the offensive, just as Varos had predicted. All that was left was to do his best to block until he could find an opening. 

* * *

The battle between Daud and Freya was continuously even-matched, and Isaac could hardly do anything to help without potentially harming Daud. Instead he fenced against approaching soldiers, holding them off alongside Carn. 

"Prince! I see you've gotten off to a fine start." called out a voice that made Isaac's heart drop to his feet. The prince turned to see Weiss stride up upon his steed, his own blade in hand. It was a unique blade, resembling a large curved machete that was adorned with rings that dangled from holes in the blunt edge of the blade. The sword jingled as it was waved about, cluing all those around that Weiss was near.

"I take it you're here for me, then." Isaac guessed. "Though I cannot doubt the fear in my heart, I will not stand down!"

Weiss leapt off of his horse and twirled his sword around. "They say true bravery is acting in the face of fear. Tell me, will you put up a brave fight, or will you give in at first blood?"

Isaac did not reply, simply raising his blade. 

"Isaac!" Daud shouted, trying to turn away from his duel with Freya. The Judge Magister did not take kindly to this and slammed the edge of her lance into Daud's side; his armor thankfully saved him, but the blow would likely bruise badly. He could only trust the prince to hold out as long as he could...

The prince observed Weiss as he approached. Such a large blade would mean hard, committed strikes; Isaac knew that in order to survive, he would have to play the defensive as he was used to. Thankfully, Curtana's light weight in his hands would make for easy counterattacks. Weiss' earlier pride would come back to haunt him, it would seem. The prince could only hope.

Weiss did take the first attack, sweeping high. Isaac ducked, feeling the air behind the blow pass over him. Striking would leave him too open, and so he backed away to try and find a better opening. 

"Here now, little rat." Weiss taunted, aiming a downward slash at the prince to keep him on the metaphorical ropes. Isaac sidestepped the swipe and spun around to put some momentum to his strike, catching Weiss' arm and drawing blood.

"First blood is mine." Isaac observed. Weiss merely huffed and swung his fist, punching the prince in the face to make him stumble. Isaac's vision blurred for a moment, and it was through the grace of instinct alone that urged him to bring his blade up and block the incoming strike that followed the punch. He buckled against the force, however, prompting Weiss to slam his foot into Isaac's chest. 

Isaac gasped and fell back, barely maintaining hold on Curtana. As Weiss approached, Isaac fell back on his ace-in-the-hole and placed a hand upon the tome on his belt, pointing Curtana forth and summoning a strong gust of air. The gust caught Weiss by surprise, causing him to bring his hands up. He was able to maintain his balance, though he was pushed back a few feet and thus allowed Isaac to return to his feet. 

"I must admit that I am impressed." Weiss conceded, approaching slowly yet again. "Here I thought you to be a pompous waif with a negligible knack for making speeches, but you've got a fire in you. A fire I'll just have t work at extinguishing."

Isaac continued to remain silent, ducking under the next swipe and stepping to the left to dodge the next one. Again he countered with a slash on the arm, and hen backed away quickly to avoid Weiss' fist from dropping him a second time. 

The Supreme Judge Magister was quite angry by now, and threw away all pretenses of having the upper hand in favor of all-out practicality. He rushed forward and thrusted forward; Isaac stepped away as before, but the stab caught and ripped a sizable hole in his cloak. Isaac spun again and tried to stab Weiss in the stomach, but his strike was parried. 

Then something caught Isaac's ear. Backing away, he recognized it as the sound of a flute. Vesper, perhaps? But how could she have waded so far into the field?

Both he and Weiss looked up and caught eye of the magnificent sight; Nah flying over ahead in her draconic form, unabated by the harsh winds. With a breath, Nah peppered the area with sparkling fireballs, one of them directly impacting Freya.

With a shriek, Freya fell back and rolled about, trying to extinguish the flame. Her good fortune saw to it that she wasn't simply roasted alive, but a severe scar was almost certain. Daud was able to make his way to the Prince's side after such a development, raising his lance. 

"I am Sir Daud of Esteos. With Naga as my witness, you shall not land another finger upon my lord!" the knight roared defiantly in the face of Weiss. Isaac didn't hide behind his bodyguard, instead choosing to stand side-by-side with him. 

Weiss shook his fist angrily. "Fine, if you both want to die then I can certainly grant your wish!" 

The battle did not re-commence, however, as the gathered party was alerted by the shouting of a messenger. "Esteans from the East! They bring more men!"

"Naomi!" Isaac exclaimed. So she had made it back after all, and with reinforcements. He longed to see the arrival of his soldiers; they were just the kind of good fortune they needed to turn the tide. This was, of course, to say nothing of his missing Naomi. 

* * *

 

Luna's force of former conscripted peasants stroke a heavy blow to the beleaguered Indartian soldiers, sending their ranks into chaos. Luna herself led the charge, cleaving her way into the center of the battlefield where Isaac, Weiss, and Daud stood. Naomi appeared beside her shortly after, to Isaac's great relief. 

"Dammit!" Weiss cursed, watching his ranks crumble in light of the newly arrived reinforcements and the flying dragon overhead. Left with no other choice, he looked around. "Retreat! Fall back!" he shouted aloud, sheathing his blade and stooping over to grab Freya from the ground. Isaac stopped his nearby companions from giving chase, letting the man retreat along with his men.

Daud huffed. "He will be back."

"And next time, we will be prepared." Isaac affirmed. It was the first thing to bring a smile to Daud's face since the beginning of the battle.

* * *

Mordred and Varos, having met each other's swordplay nearly stroke-for-stroke, found themselves out of stamina and struggling to get the upper hand on each other. It was almost to Varos' relief that the Indartian's horn to signal retreat was blown. 

Fighting back the urge to curse up a storm, Mordred leapt away and retreated along with the host of Indartians. 

Nah landed nearby, reverting back to her humanoid form and allowing Vesper to touch ground. Silas and the others from the eastern flank soon joined them, watching the Indartians flee the area.

"Can you believe it?" Vesper asked breathlessly, the adrenaline of it all having gotten to her. 

SIlas shook his head. "Hardly. I can't believe we just pulled that off." he mused, gazing the remains of those fallen. His eyes paused on Duncan. "Oh, no..."

Feeling terribly guilty, Nah went over to Duncan's death. He was gone, that was for certain. 

"I'm sorry." Nah mumbled, fighting back tears. No matter how many times she had seen people 'leave', it never got any easier. At least she had been able to give him a measure of peace before stepping onto the battlefield that would be his death.

* * *

"Come here, you idiot!" Naomi shouted, wrapping Isaac in one of her famous flying hugs. "Ugh, I can't believe we took so long. Is everyone alright? Are you alright?"

Isaac sighed. "This came with losses. Duncan didn't make it, as did many of our soldiers."

Naomi answered the prince's sigh with one of her own. She had suspected as much, but it still hurt to hear that one of their companions had fallen.

"In any case..." Daud commented, cleaning off Reginleif as he spoke. "This will likely subdue the Indartians for some time. I would wager that Kasumi'd have faith in our Eastern border as it stands. We can now shift our focus to Ormica."

"Ormica, and perhaps we can decipher this sword." Isaac added, admiring Curtana again. Though he had only held it for a brief few hours, he could scarcely imagine fighting without it anymore. He could only wonder at the mystery that the foreign script held, and could only guess at the possibilities that a divine relic could bring.

Perhaps, he would finally have answers.

 

 

 


	17. Calm After the Storm

Isaac met with his advisors on the eve of their return. Theirs was a somber meeting, and Isaac had many other things on his mind that he wished to attend to. Still, it was a necessary meeting, and there were many things to bring to light.

Kasumi began by pushing a yellow statuette on the map-table of Castradea towards the east, back into the jurisdiction of Indartis. "With this victory, we have shown to be force to be reckoned with." spoke the tactician. "Have not yet secured the city. Plan to send out unit to secure it now that Indartis has withdrawn a large amount of forces. City will still be in danger; would prefer to wait and see of Indartis' actions."

"Indartis has been harboring fear of war with Ormica and the previously standing Esteos for years." Cedric spoke. "I cannot see them attacking in such force again, not when they stand to lose so many troops that could be stationed in a defense against Ormica."

"So, we secure the east and make our move against Ormica." Silas suggested. "Indartis was the largest force here, right? Should Ormica be any bigger of a challenge?"

Naomi cleared her throat to catch Silas' attention. "You're forgetting the fish-men." She mentioned. "Er, Abyssnians. Sorry, Kasumi."

"T'is fine." Kasumi replied, happy that Naomi even mentioned her coined term. "But yes. Still a relative unknown. Their numbers are not known, and neither are their logistics."

Daud huffed as he stroked his chin. "Are we even certain that the one we encountered was part of a group? Mayhaps a renegade Ormican unit?"

"I believe we'll be leaving that one to Naga." Isaac said, lifting the sheathed Curtana in the air. "But we will save that for last. Our next order is our commendation of the help we received. Lady Luna, your timing was impeccable. In fact, we owe much of our victory to your timely arrival and the Lady Voice's rain of fire."

Luna rolled her eyes with a smirk on her face, obviously enjoying the attention. "All part of a hero's work, princey."

Daud cringed at the informal address, but a quick glance from Isaac kept him from calling Luna out. Isaac continued to speak. "These people from the eastern town look up to you. Your previous escapades and acts of heroism have made you an icon in the eyes of the people. We would love to have you as an officer, starting immediately."

"If it helps more people and gets my name out there, I accept. Ye've got yourself a deal." replied the purple-haired hero. 

"Welcome, then." Isaac replied with a grin. "I wish to publicly commend you and several others, but I'm not entirely sure on how to properly do so."

A small silence fell over the group, until Ririka spoke up. "How... about a festival?"

The entire room turned their gaze to the pink-haired bow-knight. Blushing, she continued to speak. "A festival. We used to have them in Albium all the time. Maybe this could brighten the situation of the people in the area. It could let them know that the rebuilding process is beginning, and that their Prince wants to provide for them."

"It's true that we need to lick our wounds before proceeding with the attack on Ormica. They're still awaiting reinforcements after their battles with Arcymis, but there's not much we can do about it in our current state." Naomi pointed out. "I think it's a lovely idea. It'd be great for the people."

"Hear, hear!" Nah spoke excitedly, happy to see such things being planned. She hadn't been to a festival. "With food, dancing, and of course the commendation ceremony."

Isaac smiled. "Then it is settled, you have sold me on the idea. Thank you, Ririka. I look forward to seeing what you can do with the planning committee."

"Me?" Ririka asked, startled. "You... you want me to head this up?"

The prince nodded. "Of course. It was your idea after all, and I trust you."

Blushing fiercely, Ririka simply nodded and backed away.

"Now... For the final matter of business. Lady Nah, you believe that Curtana may be used to commune with Naga, yes?" Isaac asked the Voice.

"I know it to be true." Nah replied. "Believe me, Isaac, I have seen this before.

The prince nodded and slowly drew Curtana from its scabbard. The runic letters glowed as brightly as they did the night of the battle with Indartis. "What must I do?"

"Well, first, I ask that we take this to somewhere more private. With no more than myself and five others present. I'd like to keep this rather... isolated. It's a very intimate experience and... I hope you understand." Nah asked.

The prince nodded. "I understand." He agreed, turning to those near him. "Naomi, Silas, Daud, and Kasumi. You four have been with me since from the beginning. I'd be honored if you would all accompany me."

"The honor would be mine, milord." Daud replied immediately. "This is a privilege I'd never imagine to receive."

"Just us four, til the end, huh? First it was chasing each other with sticks... And now we get to talk to a deity." Silas mentioned. Isaac smiled, fondly recalling his time with Silas, Naomi, and Kasumi as children. Those times seemed so far away from the hardships they faced in their recent escapades. "Not to leave you out, Daud, it's just been a while for us."

Daud merely huffed, trying to suppress a smile. "Let us see to this, then. After you, milord, Lady Voice."

"Thank you." Nah replied, taking Curtana from Isaac and holding it tenderly. "Let us be off." 

* * *

 

Isaac, Daud, Silas, Kasumi and Naomi met Nah atop a turret on the ramparts of an abandoned fort a few miles away from the city of Ebonreach. The full moon was in the middle of the sky, casting a tranquil light over the landscape. As far as they could tell, they were alone and unwatched. 

Nah held the sword in front of her, running her hand over the runic letters. 

"Can you read them, milady?" Isaac asked. He had been practically dying of curiosity since he laid eyes upon the blade.

Nah nodded. "It's manakete script, and as we don't use weapons, this weapon was made as a gift to humankind. It is a simple message; 'Blessed By Dragon's Fire' is the best translation I could give."

"It's beautiful." Naomi said, looking closely at it for the first time. "To think that King Esteos himself held this. It's your birthright, Isaac."

The prince smiled. "Indeed, though I wonder if he was the first to hold it. There are no tales of him meeting with manaketes..."

"There's almost no doubt that he wasn't. This blade is thousands of years old. It could have been held by any number of people since it was given as a gift. I suppose we'll have to ask Naga herself." Nah clarified. "Shall I?"

"At your leisure, Lady Voice." Isaac spoke, bowing and then backing away.

Nah nodded and held the sword aloft, closing her eyes. "Naga, mother of Dragons, I beseech thee... reveal thyself, and guide your children through me."

The runic letters glimmered brightly, casting light across the area. A soft humming began to emanate from the blade as Nah began to glow. Of particular note were her eyes, which turned a monotone white and began to emit blue fire. Bathing the area in a bright blue light, Nah rose from the ground and started to hover. 

Isaac felt a small tingle and looked down at his hands, finding that he was slightly glowing as well. Looking around, he saw that Kasumi was glowing with a similar light.

"Greetings, blessed ones." Nah spoke in an echoed voice, apparently channeling Naga herself. "It has been some time since I have been summoned to your world. I am glad that Nah has found such sound confidantes."

Isaac immediately fell to his knees, as did his companions. "I am humbled that you would speak with us, most holy." he spoke in praise. "Given your blessing, I would ask of you to impart us with your wisdom."

"You need not my permission, child of man. Please, arise, all of you. I ask that you speak freely, that I may answer your questions in kind." Spoke Nahga, continuing to float with nary a blink. 

With a courteous nod, Isaac stood up. "I... I believe I would like to know of the history of the blade that Nah holds in her hands as we speak. Who wielded it in times past? And... what was my ancestor like?"

"The blade you know as Curtana was forged as a gift, given to an ancient chieftain that fought to defend the land of the manaketes from an invading force of beings you know as Abyssnians." Nahga spoke with a calm voice. "This chieftain was a gentle man named Romulus and defended the manaketes in the name of virtue alone. He is a distant ancestor to both of you."

Isaac blinked. "Both of us?" he asked, looking at his glowing hands and then to the other nearby source of light. "You mean..."

"I speak of Kasumi, yes." Nahga confirmed. "Though distant, you share a common ancestor from Romulus. His two sons spawned two great lines, both of you descending from a separate line; and though his blessed blood has been far diluted over the ages, it is still strong within the two of you. Stronger than ever before, thanks to your summoning and your time spent with Nah. You may consider yourselves 'Touched by Naga'."

The revelation was quite the shock. It was a distant relation, but it was still staggering to find out that his close friend was a relative through an ancient hero. 

Kasumi cleared her throat and spoke next. "Touched by Naga... what does this entail?"

"My divine essence dwells within you, child of man." Nahga answered. "How this comes into play concerning the tasks ahead of you, is yet to be seen."

Isaac pondered his next question, unsure of how to ask it. "I... Er... How was Romulus blessed with such a gift? Was it just for his heroics?" 

Nahga stared at Isaac with a smile, seemingly enjoying distributing revelations left-and-right. "It was his heroics, and... his close relations with a manakete following his war with the Abyssnians. One that he would take as his wife."

The prince blinked. "Then I..."

"You are descended of manaketes, and thus myself, yes." Nahga answered. "Though such an ancestry is so far diluted that you can rightfully be called entirely human. Romulus and his wife would perish in the battles that followed the early formation of his kingdom, and his sons would take up opposing flags in a dispute over their father's legacy. They lived to sire only a few heirs before falling in battle against one another, and these heirs would go on to dilute the manakete blood further. By Romulus' great-grandchildren, their human side was dominant enough to negate the natural longevity of a manakete."

"And... as for King Esteos?" Isaac asked, still bewildered by the revelations. "What of him? How did he chance upon the blade?"

"Your ancestor did not directly inherit the blade, as it was lost centuries earlier by the folly of one of Romulus' descendants. It would be delivered to him by a traveling seeress from another world... The woman you see floating before you. He would eventually perish in battle and lose the blade, leaving it unwielded by a descendant of Romulus until you were given the blade." 

Silas, who had been silent for the duration of the ritual, spoke up at last. "This... this is incredible. Isaac, you know I'm not much for the divinity business, but... I can't believe this. Figures, that regal air around you was actually divinity. Funny how stuff like that works."

Isaac smiled at the observations from his best friend. It was no time to reminisce, however. There were more things to ask, after all. "Lady Naga, what can you tell us of the Abyssnians? What are they, and why are they here?"

Nahga's facial expression soured. "They are an aquatic, subterranean people that have slept in their underwater cities for millennia at a time." she answered. "They are the spawn of the Leviathan, a being of great malefic intent that they venerated as their god-king. He has been defeated twice; once by the manaketes in ancient days, and once by Romulus. Each time his physical form destroyed; his revival brought on by a human once before his defeat by Romulus, and once again even now." 

The prince listened in stunned silence, feeling Naomi wrap her arms around his left arm.

"For you see, the Abyssnians draw most of their being from their god-king. They cannot remain awake while the Leviathan is absent. Resurrecting the Leviathan is no simple task and requires years of work and rituals, all of which must be carried out by a non-Abyssnian. It is fueled by malefic intent, and... a great amount of death, occurring within a short time."

Isaac's eyes shot open. The sound of Reginleif clattering to the ground rang out above the constant humming. "Estralis." muttered Kasumi. It was abundantly clear now that the sinking of the great city was no accident, rather the catalyst for a massive summoning ritual.

"All these people. All these lives. My family. Snuffed out, and for what? To revive a god of demonic men of the sea?" Isaac shouted, showing a display of anger that was rare for the prince. "Why!? Who? Who would do this? Where can we find them? Please, Naga, I beg you, tell us!" 

"Alas, I cannot." Nahga retorted, sighing. "My child, all of which you have asked me has been answered by grace of my memory and my observances. These recent events and the perpetrators behind them are largely a mystery to me. You have knowledge of the Abyssnians working with another force, yes? Use it. It is your best hope to finding they who would summon the Leviathan. As for the beast itself, I can imagine its unfinished form resides within the sunken city that you knew as home."

Isaac nodded, hardly surprised anymore. "And... how can we approach the beast, if it resides underwater?"

"I can open a path." Nahga replied. "And I will do so when the time comes. But you must find the perpetrator first. Without them, the Leviathan has no means of being revived unless another chances upon the forbidden knowledge required to do so. Once this is done, you may destroy the incomplete Leviathan as soon as you are able." 

Isaac nodded. "Then it is decided. Ormica will answer for this." he concluded, clutching his fist.

"Now... Nah's form is weakening from my continued occupancy. She will need time to rest. I bid thee farewell, child of man. May we speak again." Nahga said. Slowly the glow faded from Nah, Isaac, and Kasumi while Nah slowly lowered to the ground. Silas dashed over and caught her when she touched down. 

"Lady Voice, can you hear me?" Silas asked, trying to fan Nah with his free hand. Slowly she stirred, blinking sluggishly. The summoning took an obvious toll on her, but she looked likely to recover with a bit of sleep.

Sitting up in Silas' arms, Nah looked to Isaac. "And... now we know. I had not truly known that Esteos was the one I delivered the blade to long ago; I only did as Naga herself commanded me to do. I simply remember leaving it in a grove... mayhaps it was there he chanced upon it. Incredible..."

"We should get Lady Nah back to Ebonreach where she can rest." Isaac spoke. "I have a few letters to write... Uncle Ghayle and Kimata must know of this."

* * *

 

The group reached the city in the late hours of the night. The sun would soon peek above the horizon; Daud was incredibly relieved that they would have the day off to recover. He needed the rest. 

First, however, he had something to take care of.

"Kasumi, wait." he called out to the teal-haired tactician, falling behind the returning group. Isaac thought nothing of it, and continued along with Silas, Nah, and Naomi.

Kasumi turned and tilted her head. "Yes, Daud?" she asked, quite tired herself. Finding out that you were the descendant of a manakete and a long-dead hero was quite the shock to her fatigue and her mind alike.

"I, um..." Daud began, not sure of how to proceed. "What... what do you think of steel?" 

Blinking, Kasumi shrugged. "Er... Not sure. Strong metal; resilient, reliable... Beautiful in its simplicity. Many great sculptures and weapons alike have been made of steel. Why do you ask?"

Daud cleared his throat and placed Reginleif in its strap. "I'm glad you say so, it makes me realize I chose correctly." he rambled, patting his belt to look for a pouch. "Understand that I ask this of you so suddenly only because... well, I would normally... in an ideal state of affairs, I would wait longer, maybe... It's just that death is around every corner for us, especially with these Abyssnians around us, and... Well, I don't-"

"Daud, please." Kasumi interrupted, smiling slightly. "What is it?"

"Kasumi, I don't want to throw myself against some sort of ancient serpent god-king with regrets on my mind." he spoke, finally finding the pouch he desired and emptying a small, glimmering object into his palm. "Which is why I want to do this while I still can. Forgive me for the suddenness of it all, but..." he continued, getting down on one knee and presenting a simple ring of steel. "Kasumi, will you marry me?"

The tactician nearly squealed, unable to find the words; instead she merely nodded up and down and nearly tackled the armored man, throwing her arms around him in a clumsy embrace. 

Daud merely closed his eyes and smiled. There was good to find in all the chaos, after all.

"I... I'm sorry we haven't had time to..." Kasumi began, but stopped herself to plant a kiss on Daud's cheek. "We... we will speak of this later, this I swear. Too tired to... properly express gratitude. Thank you, Daud... your ring has... said all I needed to hear."

Daud merely smiled and nodded in return, accompanying his new-found fiancee to the mayor's residence as the sun peeked over the horizon.


	18. The Dragon Festival

A month of recuperating followed the battle at the Maelstrom. It was a time of sorrows and smiles alike, as those who lived through the battle told tales of the valiant acts of courage that won the day; others took the time to bury and mourn their dead. Duncan was given a quiet memorial service for his exemplary servitude to the crown, being burned at a pyre just as Faye.

Ririka surprised herself, finding that she had quite the knack for management and having great success in arranging the necessary supplies for a festival. It was announced that the festival would be known as the 'Dragon Festival', in honor of the image of Nah flying above the battlefield at the Maelstrom and raining down divine flames. Using a few easily procured flammable minerals, many decorative lanterns were made to burn with differently colored flames. Floating lanterns were made as well, the lighting making up a majority of the festival's decorations.

At last, it was time for the festivities to begin; the festival was divided into three days. The first was a general festival day with no particular focus; the second day was allotted for the Prince to address the citizens and carry out the commendation ceremonies; the third day would end with Daud and Kasumi's wedding.

Ririka gazed upon the fruits of her labor and planning as the sun set on the first day, grinning from ear to ear. It was as beautiful as she had imagined, like a vision from her dreams. It wasn't just about impressing Isaac anymore; she was simply glad to bring happiness to so many citizens.

The festivities, of course, were shared by the officers of Isaac's army as well.

 

* * *

 

"What are we doing again?" asked Silas, struggling to keep up while Vesper dragged him by his sleeve. 

Vesper looked back and rolled her eyes. "I told you, I just want you to show me what all the best things are! I've never been to a festival before, remember? Raised in seclusion, lived in isolation?"

"Hm. Fair point." Silas replied. "Sorry, I'm not incredibly familiar with playing the tour guide."

Shrugging, Vesper looked around at all the lanterns while trying to hazard a guess at what they would do first. "That's fine. Just show me what you would do at a normal fair in Silas-land."

Silas looked around. "I suppose there are quite a few eligible lasses about, that's where I'd start..." 

A slap to the back of the head changed the swordmaster's mind.

"Ugh, fine. I suppose the food is the real treat of the festival. The best part is all the sweets that Esteos produces. And the fish! Our seafood is famous for a reason." Silas pointed out. "Shrimp, lobster, crab, tuna, squid..."

Vesper blinked. "Squid? You eat squid?"

"I don't really care for it, but a lot of people do. Not on its own, anyway. Usually it's battered and fried, or-"

"Fried?" Vesper asked.

Silas paused. "You don't know about fried food?" he spoke, surprised. 

"No. I grew up in the mountains with My Lady and only a few dozen others, remember?" she replied. "We were isolated and didn't have access to many resources or techniques besides our own."

"A few dozen? But only Thormund, Lizeth, and Landon..."

Vesper sighed. "I know." she resigned. "Can we go try the squid now?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." Silas stammered, feeling bad. "Ves, I'm sorry."

It was Vesper that paused this time. "Ves?" 

Silas coughed. He was striking out left and right with his social interactions, it seemed. "Uh, yeah. I shorten people's names sometimes. Just something I do. If you don't like it, I won't do it."

"It's just... Someone I used to be very close to called me that." Vesper mentioned softly, taking a deep breath. "It felt nice to hear it again."

"Okay then, Ves it is." the swordsman concluded. "Sorry again to bring that up. Look, that's enough dwelling on tragic pasts, alright? It hasn't gotten me anywhere, and it won't get you anywhere either. Let's go try some of that squid I told you about, alright?"

It took her a moment, but Vesper eventually nodded. "Right. And if I catch you ogling women going about their own business like a deviant, I'll be sure you go for a nice swim by the docks!"

With a sigh yet a smile, Silas led Vesper into the maze of stalls to search for the promised squid.

* * *

 

Thormund placed a tankard on the table in front of him, laughing. "This here, lass, is fine Ormican stout. Solid and thick, like the bark of a tree!"

Lizeth looked at the liquid in her own tankard. "This is odd. The mead we brewed in the Voice's enclave was nothing like this."

"I forget ye was raised in the enclave." Thormund said, nodding with closed eyes. "Ye see, before I found myself wounded and lost in the mountains, I drank meads, stouts, ales, and porters the world around! There be none who can drink me under the table!"

"Perhaps if I do so, then, will you tell me the story of how you ended up wounded and at the Voice's enclave in the first place?" Lizeth asked, raising her mug in challenge. 

With a grin and a laugh, Thormund raised his tankard high and brought it to his mouth, chugging it down like a champion and slamming the empty tankard on the table. His mustache was left with traces of foam.

Shrugging, Lizeth raised the tankard slowly and took a small sip. I was certainly thick as he had said, but the taste was quite appealing compared to the lean mountain mead that she had grown up drinking. With a deep breath, she lifted the tankard and chugged much like Thormund, slamming her tankard in kind when she was done.

Thormund brought himself to clap, laughing even heartier now. "Well done, well done! Ye may be a worthy opponent yet! Get me two lagers here!"

As the barkeep slid another two tankards at Thormund and Lizeth, Naomi approached the table. The two warriors were the first people she had recognized at the fair, and she couldn't help but go over to say hello.

Lizeth waved with a smile while Thormund hailed the thief loudly. "Ah, the wee blue lass! Take a seat and watch two old warriors drink, why don't ye?"

"I'm twenty-seven, Thormund. I'm hardly old, I'd say." the paladin protested. "But yes, join us, Naomi. I've yet to really speak to you at length, I feel as if I don't know you." 

"Certainly!" Naomi replied, taking a seat. "On one condition, though."

Thormund lifted his mug and raised his eyebrow. "What's that?"

Placing a handful of coins on the table with a malicious grin, Naomi spoke. "Let me in on it, won't you?"

* * *

Carn and Gale, having formed a steadfast friendship in the last few months based upon their bond as dark mages, had went from stall to stall to sample all of the Estean cuisine as many folks did. Both being foreign, neither had much of a chance to eat outside their particular country of origin's food; especially Gale, as Indartis enforced strict import laws.

"Fantastic here, isn't it?" Gale asked as he munched on a spiced steak skewer. "The people laugh and make merry with nary a concern for their wallets or fear of lawful intervention. Perhaps my father would have fared better as an Estean merchant."

Carn shrugged. "It is well enough here, but I still wish I were among the towers of Arcymis sometimes! Traveling is fine enough when you aren't marching around, but all of that blasted walking!" 

Gale tilted his head. "You speak of towers but you profess a hate of walking. These towers of yours don't have stairs?"

"They do, yes." Carn replied. "But remember, magic! The stairs carry you without a need to walk on your own. It's quite lovely, honestly."

Gale chuckled, looking around. "Surely there must be something you've enjoyed ever since arriving here."

"Oh, of course. The friends have been good." Carn replied. "Well, the ones that haven't spat in my direction for the whole dark magic thing. The old Judge's daughter, Eve... There's something about her that is just... striking."

"Stricken's the right word, it seems!" Gale smirked. "Hard enough to make friends with the dark magic stigma, but to charm a lady? 100 coins says you can't."

Carn scoffed jokingly. "I think I'd try bet or not. But very well, I'll see your bet and make it 200. I'll have a date with the lady within the week."

"Well, there's your headstart, Carn." Gale pointed out, nodding to a stall a few feet away. Eve and her ever-present sister Eden were perusing a jewelry stall together, having not noticed the two kindred mages. 

"Hmph. Alright then, follow me." Carn spoke confidently.

Gale blinked. "Why me?"

"I count two ladies, my friend, and I only aim for one. Come, it's worth a shot, right?"

Pausing for a moment, Gale shrugged. "Alright. Let's see then."

Carn approached the stall and waved. "Ah, Eve, Eden! Fancy seeing you both here."

"Oh, Carn! Hi!" Eve exclaimed, waving back with a smile. "Eden, this is Carn, and, uh..."

"Gale." spoke the blue-haired dark knight. "I'm Gale."

Eden looked the two men over with a less than favorable look on her face compared to her bubbly sister. The stigma that Carn mentioned seemed to be at work. "Yes, the dark knight that I saved in the last battle. Is there something you need?"

"Well, carnivals are always more fun in groups, are they not?" Carn asked. 

"We have few such affairs in Indartis." Eden spoke back, her arms crossed. "Why don't you tell me?"

Gale nodded. "She's right, they don't do this kind of thing often there. I'm no stranger to fairs in Ormica, but in Indartis..."

"You are from Indartis as well? I would have thought a dark mage would've spent his life in the stocks back home." Eden spat. 

Gale shrugged. "I was quite good at hiding it. It was a lot easier when I went to Ormica, where they don't fear practical applications of magic."

"Ah yes, fear of the practical. Fear of the profane, more like."

"Eden, please!" Eve interjected before the argument escalated. "Carn, I'm sorry. Would you like to walk around and see a few of the stalls together?"

Carn smiled. "With you? Why, certainly. Lead the way." 

Eve smiled and waved Carn over to some of the other attractions, leaving Gale with a sneering Eden. 

"So..."

"Save it." Eden huffed. "I don't trust you."

Gale sighed. "Fine. Just let me say one thing, why don't you?"

Eden raised an eyebrow. 

"Thank you. For saving my life. It isn't worth much to you, it seems, but... Well, you know. Thank you."

Eden's eyes widened, genuinely surprised. "Well, ah... You're welcome I suppose. I... I guess I'll go keep an eye on my sister then."

Gale nodded and watched Eden walk off, left on his own. The aroma of fried fish caught his attention, and he shrugged off the argument and awkward thanks in light of more positive ways to spend time at the festival.

* * *

 

Having made several appearances at many of the attractions at the festival, Isaac hardly had any time to himself. It was to be expected, given his position, but it was still a little draining sometimes. It was nice, then, to take a seat at the docks with a glass of wine to watch the sunset. 

"Isaac? Are you alright?" called Nah, who sat beside Isaac. Kasumi approached as well, without a word, sitting on the other side of Isaac. "We were looking for you. You really shouldn't run off like that, you know!"

The prince smiled. "Yes, yes, I know. Forgive me, my Lady. I just needed a moment to myself, that's all." 

Kasumi turned her head. "Thinking about what Naga said, still?" she asked. Kasumi had been busy for the past month as well, having obviously been involved in the planning of her and Daud's wedding that was scheduled as the crowning event of the third and final day of the festival. Truth be told, she needed some time to herself just as Isaac did. 

"Yes, how could I not be?" Isaac asked. "There's a few other glasses, help yourself." he said, motioning to the wine.

Nah smiled and poured herself a small glass. "Thank you, Isaac." she said, taking a small sip. "I suppose it does make us cousins, doesn't it? All manaketes, and those of mixed manakete heritage, are descended of Naga herself, after all."

"I suppose it does, doesn't it?" Isaac figured. "Far ones, but cousins nonetheless. It's an honor, my lady."

"You said you are not fully manakete, correct?" Kasumi asked, holding her own glass of wine.

Nah nodded. "My mother was a rambunctious manakete woman named Nowi, and my father was a human named Donnel. I hardly remember either of them, they died when I was quite young. I spent most of my younger life in foster homes until I joined Lucina in her fight against Grima."

"And then you were saved by the Hero-prince Chrom, correct?" Isaac asked, making sure that he was getting his history right. 

Nah smiled. "Yes, that's right. Chrom and his strategist friend from the past dove through the outrealms to save us at Naga's behest. The Naga of my world had died, so... There was so little hope."

"Naga was... dead in your world?" Isaac asked, a bit taken aback. "How is that possible?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. Some worlds that I have been to seem to have no influence from her at all, while others speak her name reverently. In some worlds she is dead, and is succeeded by one of her daughters of that world. These Outrealms are a confounding thing, and Naga herself has not told me of the nature of all of this. Rest assured that as you saw, your world's Naga is alive and well."

Isaac merely nodded. It was a lot to take in and rather vague in nature. He had no wish to explore these Outrealms; not when his duty kept him tied to his own world. 

"Then, just like that, the warriors from the past disappeared once Lucina gained the power to defeat Grima. We lived peacefully after that for quite some time. Ylisse suffered several wars in her time, but she stood fast throughout the generations." Nah continued.

"Did you ever marry?" asked the prince.

Nah smiled and nodded. "Once. It's no easy thing for a manakete to love a human, even a half-breed such as myself. But, I am content with the years we had. No children, but... many years of love and happiness. I'll cherish them always."

Isaac had never expected to find himself thankful for his mortality. To live that long without one that he loved sounded tragic, even agonizing to the prince. Yet Nah's genuine smile spoke otherwise. Beneath her childlike appearance was great wisdom and worldly experience, it seemed. He decided to ask no more, simply taking another sip of wine. 

A few moments of silence followed, with only the occasional sound of a sip being heard besides the soft repetitive sound of waves washing against the docks. Finally Nah spoke up, raising her glass. "To Daud and Kasumi's many years of love and happiness to come." 

Isaac raised his glass with a smile, while Kasumi merely smiled and blushed. 

* * *

 

"Cedric." called out Ned. He had found the old judge standing on his own, watching the festivities rather than participating. 

Turning, Cedric smiled. "Edward, is it? What can I do for you?"

"Just 'Ned' is fine." Ned replied, leaning against a nearby fence-post. "You've got experience ruling a fief, correct?"

Cedric nodded. "Several years, yes. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know if you knew, but I was granted a dukedom by Isaac a few months ago to rule after the campaign is over. Quite frankly, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'd like some information, as a foundation, so to speak." Ned asked. 

"Hm..." Cedric hummed pensively, leaning against the fence as well. "A broad question. The job of a ruler, no matter the size of his fief, is to adapt, I would say, to the needs of his people. Managing well in a time of prosperity is well enough, but it is times of crisis that define a man's ability to rule."

Ned shrugged. "That much I could've guessed. But is there anything that has worked well for you?"

"Delegation, I suppose." Cedric guessed. "A lord is only as good as his supporters and subordinates. People of talent and those deserving of trust, you understand? Placing the right people in the right places is paramount."

With a sigh, the assassin hung his head. "You make it sound so simple."

"Of course it isn't simple, Ned." Cedric agreed. "But listen to yourself. Ordinarily you'd think a man happy enough to just receive an office of power, so that he may elevate his own name and bask in his newfound wealth. Yet here you are, concerned over the welfare of your citizens-to-be. You're already a better ruler than most, I should say."

The assassin didn't respond. 

"Think it over, son." the old veteran stated, patting Ned's back and walking off.

* * *

 

As the sun began to set over the festival grounds, Daud reclined in a chair with a cold mug of ale in his hand. To his left sat Cael, similarly equipped with a mug of his own. Though they hadn't been on the best terms ever since they grew apart soon before Daud departed to become a knight so many years ago, Daud didn't want to simply toss away the man who had once been a childhood friend. 

"And what of your parents? I saw your father is quite well, but I didn't speak at length with him." Daud asked.

Cael sighed. "Well, dearest old dad is putting on a few years. It's not easy to look after a village, but it's harder still when your wife of forty years passes on from sickness."

Daud coughed and took a large swig of ale to take the edge off the news. "I... Well, you have my condolences." 

"Yes, well, thank you. Mom had been suffering for quite some time, really. It was kind of a relief to see her free from that." Cael replied. "But that's... foul talk on a happy evening. Forgive my prattling."

Shaking his head, Daud released his grip on his mug, leaving it on a nearby table. "It's no prattling. We can be happy that she suffers no longer."

"Heh. Despite all the plating and the bravado, you're a real softie, Daud."

Daud merely turned his head and menacingly raised an eyebrow. Cael hushed for a second after that, then trying to change the subject. "Er... Well, once father retires, he may ask me to replace him."

The knight dropped his menacing glare. "And will you accept?"

Cael thought to himself. "Honestly? I don't think I will."

"Why's that? I thought you desired the life of a lord."

"But I could aim for higher than a mayorship, couldn't I?" Cael asked, laughing. "But honestly... All this campaigning has changed me, old friend. Before I would slink away at the mere mention of a fight. Now I find myself not even noticing when I'm bleeding mid-fight. I think there's still some good to be done... especially if I pursue the knight's life. Leave the village to my younger brothers."

Daud's eyes widened. "You wish to be a knight? You're well past the age for squiring, you know."

"Yes, yes, I know of that, I know all about the process. But, there's another way, of course. Good deeds in the name of the kingdom, yes? A few of those, a couple taps on the shoulder, and then I can serve mother Esteos in my best capacity as a knight." Cael replied. His tone was a little irreverent, but Daud noted his resolve and smiled.

"Hm... It'd be interesting. Sir Caelestis. Has a ring to it."

Cael nodded. "To the future, then!" he called, raising his mug towards the setting sun. Daud followed suit, with a smile.

* * *

 

The second day approached, bringing more of the previous festivities as well as a martial tournament held in the Prince's honor. Isaac sat in a throne overseeing the small arena where a melee was set to begin. Several of his own officers, Daud included, were participating, though Daud promised to withdraw from the one-on-one contests and the jousts as to avoid over-exerting himself before the wedding. 

As Isaac was preparing to stand and make a speech to begin the tournament, a familiar flash of blue hair caught his eye as Naomi approached the throne. "Isaac, there's someone here to see you." she said with a smile.

"They've chosen an awfully inconvenient time to show themselves." Isaac whispered back, awkwardly feeling the stare of the silent crowd. "Can it wait?"

"Don't think so." Naomi replied, shaking her head. "It's your uncle and your cousin, Isaac."

Isaac blinked. "King Ghayle and Kimata are here? Now?"

"Yes! They should be..."

A cough cleared the silence. Isaac to see King Ghayle of Albium, and with him his daughter and only child Princess Kimata. Close family, the closest that Isaac had left. Turning back to the crowd, Isaac raised his hands. 

"It appears we have some surprise guests! Good lords and ladies, I present to you his majesty, King Ghayle of Albium, and her royal highness Princess Kimata of Albium!" he proclaimed to much applause from the crowd. "Without aid from our beloved neighbor, our campaign to reclaim our home would have had no foundation, no support, no hope! Another round of applause for my uncle and cousin, esteemed friends of Esteos!"

The crowd complied and erupted into further applause, as King Ghayle strode forward himself while Kimata took a seat to the right of Isaac's throne. "It does my old heart good to see the good people of Esteos cheer with such fervor! I see my trust in my nephew was well placed. Isaac, you shall make a fine king one day, one equaling your father."

Isaac merely blushed at the praise.

"Now, forgive my sudden intrusion, good lords and ladies. I had merely heard tales of the bravery and valor of the Prince and his loyal retainers, and I had resolved to travel and see it for myself. I believe it is the Prince's place to open up these festivities, is it not?"

Nodding, Isaac stepped forward once again. "Now begins the first grand melee of the Dragon Festival. May you fight with honor and in the name of fairness, and may the best man prevail. Begin!" 

With that said, the courtyard erupted into the chaotic din of combat as the participants threw themselves into battle, most of them yelling or shouting some other war cry to inspire themselves if nothing else. 

Siting back, Isaac's smile faded into a look of seriousness as he glanced to Ghayle and Kimata, each whom sat on the opposite sides of the prince. Nah took her seat on the left side of Ghayle while Naomi sat to the right of Kimata. "I would assume that your arrival here has something to do with my letter, then."

"It is shocking news indeed. I trust your word, Isaac, but you must understand how... well, ridiculous this sounds. Communed to Naga, descended from her very daughters? I've never even heard of this 'Romulus' that you speak of." Ghayle spoke. "Might it be some sort of Indartian trick, I think..."

"I assure you, your majesty, that it is truth." Nah spoke. 

Ghayle blinked. "Who is this, Isaac? I recognize Naomi to Kimata's right, but..."

"Uncle, this is Lady Nah, Voice of Naga." Isaac clarified. 

Ghayle's eyes widened as he hopped out of his chair and knelt before Nah. He had no idea what manaketes looked like in their 'human' forms, having only heard tales in stories, but the long ears and the shining green stone in Nah's hands confirmed what had been his doubt. "Forgive my hasty words, my lady. I should have assumed."

"Please, stand, it's fine. Honestly, I'm not much for reverence." Nah replied with a smile. "But once again, I must assure you that Isaac speaks the truth."

"Then that means all of this talk of the beast that dwells within the Maelstrom..." Kimata began. She was always a quiet one, nowhere near the level of Kasumi, but it still surprised Isaac to hear her speak up. "Then it's true? What does this mean for us all?"

Isaac looked down. "Whatever happens to Esteos, we must assure that this beast, this 'Leviathan', is destroyed. Naga instructed us to find the one who plans to restore its' physical form and kill them, and once we do this, we should be able to safely descend to the depths of the Maelstrom and destroy the incomplete beast. How Naga plans to send us down there is beyond me... But I intend to find out."

Ghayle nodded with a sigh, sitting back against his chair. "Do you have any leads on where to look for this summoner?"

"Only that the Abyssnians have only been sighted amongst Ormican forces. They are the last major threat remaining, unless Indartis should attack again; incredibly unlikely, I should think. We were going to be going after Ormica next regardless, so this solves two problems at once. Hopefully we can find the summoner among them."

"This is incredibly important. As Naga has said through me, this beast could cause untold destruction if it isn't stopped. But Isaac can do this. He hasn't let us down yet."

Isaac opened his mouth to argue that he hadn't done nearly as much as those serving with him, but his uncle spoke first; "I agree, my lady. And that's why I wish to stay here in Esteos to help him."

Kimata and Isaac both looked at Ghayle with a surprised gaze and a simultaneous "What?". 

"You heard me." Ghayle replied, smiling as he watched the grand melee unfold. "I am confident in your abilities, Isaac, I truly am, but I wish to aid you as much as possible. I am a commander of no small skill, and I could be of much help to you. And regardless, even if you say no, I still have two battalions on their way to bolster you with reinforcements. Consider it the first of my diplomatic offerings to the future king of Esteos, yes?" 

Isaac smiled and shook his uncle's hand gratefully. "It would mean the world to me to have you here, Uncle. I feel there is much I could learn from you."

"I could say the same of me being here with you, truly." Ghayle replied. "And... with honesty, I must say that the years have begun to be unkind to me. I recently turned 51, as you know, and it is becoming clear that Kimata will make a fine queen when I am gone. I wish to give her some experience now. It is good to learn while one is still young."

"But... father!" Kimata protested.

"You are ready, my dear, and your mother would be so proud." Ghayle replied, smiling. "Surely you knew I would offer this to Isaac. It was your idea to visit, after all."

Kimata shook her head. "I didn't know you would volunteer to stay. I... I just don't know what to say."

"You will have my advisors, and it is for only a few months at most." Ghayle replied. "You have seen me at work and you know of what is good for the people. It is a peaceful time with all the nearby forces either invading or retreating from Esteos. You are ready, Kimata. That is, if Isaac will have me."

Isaac looked to his cousin. "Kimata, you've always been a kind sisterly figure to me. I believe in you, if that means anything at all."

"Of course it does, Isaac, I just... Ah..." Kimata began, shaking her head in defeat. "If... If it pleases you, father, I will take your place as regent until your return. Just... please write often." 

Ghayle smiled at his daughter. "Of course, Kimata. However, this is merely talk of things to come. I plan to have you stay here with me for the remainder of the festival, if that is suitable to your tastes."

"Yes, of course." Kimata agreed, looking at her father as he got up from his chair. "Why are you standing, father?"

"Well, the jousts begin immediately after the melee, correct?" Ghayle asked, smiling. "It looks like the melee will soon have a champion, and I would like to give the jousts one. I've got the advantage of experience, don't I?"

Isaac smiled and nodded, looking to the melee to gaze upon the final two fighters in the melee. Daud was locked in battle with Varos, doing his best to deal with the old veteran's speed by following his movements with his shield. 

"Ah, it's good to see Varos in such high spirits." Kimata observed. "He is normally so dour. Not enough action in the field, I would assume."

"You know him well, Kimata?" Isaac asked, not taking his eyes off of the fight. 

Kimata nodded with a nostalgic smile. "Yes, he was my bodyguard since I was a babe, just as Faye was to you." she answered. "Where is she, by the way? I had assumed she would be the last standing in the melee, respects to Daud of course. She is not ill, is she?"

Isaac's gaze fell away from the fight as he stared blankly into the distance. Faye's death still hit him hard at the best and the worst of times. It was hard, sometimes, to remember that she was gone at all. "She... fell in battle some months ago, against the Abyssnian that we encountered among the Ormican forces in Bellhall." 

"Oh! Isaac, I am so sorry. I didn't know... I should not have brought it up." Kimata quickly apologized, placing a hand over her mouth in shock. She could only imagine the pain Isaac felt; she already dreaded sending Varos off to battle and feared that the same might happen to him.

The prince shook his head. "It's fine, you didn't know." he answered, sitting back. "She fought well, and she has a fitting successor. She would be proud of Daud."

In the arena, Daud deftly sidestepped a downward slash from Varos, creating an opening in the swordsman's defenses for the first time in the entire fight. With a heave, he drove the shaft of his spear downwards and swung it upwards, launching the sword out of Varos' hands and sealing his victory. The crowd and those that had already been defeated burst into applause as Varos knelt before Daud, a smile on his face. 

"A round of applause for Sir Daud of Esteos!" Isaac announced as Daud walked away, waving at the crowd as he went. "Next we shall have the jousting tournament, in which my uncle has volunteered to participate! Following that will be the one-on-one tests of arms, and finally our knighting ceremony. I wish all of you a wonderful day at the festival."

* * *

 

The tournaments carried on, yielding much entertainment and glory for those involved. Daud was crowned the winner of the grand melee, while Lizeth took the title for the joust and Silas for the contests of arms. At last it was time for the knighting, and several candidates were brought forth before Isaac, who stood with Curtana in hand.

Carn, Gale, Ned, Luna, Cael, Thormund, Lizeth, and Landon knelt before the prince, having all accepted their bids gladly. The only who to be offered a knighthood and to refuse was Vesper, who felt uncomfortable taking on the responsibilities of such a role.

"This campaign has been long and difficult, and it is not yet over, not by far. Yet, it is because of exemplary individuals such as yourselves that I can call this campaign a success thus far. I owe uncountable thanks to each of you for your contributions, and I believe that this honor of knighthood is the first such reward I can give. Starting today, I proclaim the formation of the Knights of the Prismatic Flame, in honor of our Lady Voice and the flames she breathed to save us all at the Maelstrom. Under the leadership of Sir Daud, should he accept, I would like to welcome you all to the founding roster of this order." Isaac announced. 

"I accept." Daud replied gladly. 

Isaac nodded, then proceeded to formally tap the shoulders of each of the candidates with the flat of Curtana. "Then arise, Sir Carn, Sir Gale, Sir Edward, Sir Luna, Sir Caelestis, Sir Thormund, Sir Lizeth, and Sir Landon. Turn to greet the people, as the newly inducted Knights of the Prismatic Flame!"

Those knighted did as they were told, waving to the cheering crowd. Morale was at an all-time high, as Isaac would have it. The people deserved such happiness in such dark times, he felt. 

Hopefully the dark times would soon come to an end. He could only pray.

* * *

 

At last, the third and final day of the festival drew to a close, approaching the final event; Daud and Kasumi's wedding. Attendance was astonishing, greater than expected, though all honored guests were seated in chairs in front of the ceremony as opposed to seats around the ceremony with all of the common people and the like. 

Daud awaited at the altar, dressed in his finest, and flanked by five men; his best man Cael, and the groomsmen Silas, Ned, Thormund, and Gale of all people, who was the most surprised when asked by Daud. Perhaps it was an extension of goodwill on Daud's part, as his dislike of magic was well known (though put to question now that the prince was capable of such.) 

Meanwhile, Kasumi's side of the altar consisted of Naomi standing as Maid of Honor, alongside bridesmaids Ririka, Alora, Vesper, and Lizeth. 

The music was struck up as Kasumi made her way down the walkway, locking arms with Isaac. 

"Feel... silly. Hate dresses." Kasumi muttered to Isaac.

Isaac smirked, trying not to laugh. "You look fine, regardless. Everyone's in awe." 

Kasumi merely turned a brighter shade of red, saying not another word as Isaac gave her away at the altar. Daud smiled at the Prince, who nodded and took his seat. 

Nah, serving as the priest and officiator of the union out of respect for Duncan's recent passing, smiled and begin to speak. "I... had the formal words memorized, but I don't believe they do all of this much justice. I figure any words I speak will be deemed holy enough, yes?" she asked. The crowd laughed for a moment, and Nah spoke again. "Yes, a lovely union, one I am glad to have seen form. I knew neither of you for very long, truly, but I have been impressed by the valor and dedication the two of you have shown. You are both good spirits, and I know you will both serve each other in your coming years."

Daud smiled. "Thank you, my lady."

"Now... before I start tearing up... The vows, if you'd please."

Daud took a deep breath, turned to his bride-to-be, and took her hands. "I'm... not good at the poetic aspect of this, so I'll keep it simple. I, Daud, take you, Kasumi, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life. This I swear in Naga's name."

Kasumi took an even deeper breath than Daud, struggling as always with her speech. "And... I, Kasumi, take you, Daud, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. Will... er, _**I**_ will... love you and honor you all the days of my life. This I swear in Naga's name."

Nah smiled and cleared her throat to speak once more. "You have declared your consent before those gathered. May Naga in her goodness strengthen your union and fill you both with her blessings. What she has joined, men must not divide... You have my word on that. Now kiss her already!"

Daud smiled, looking to his feet for a moment, then looking back up to step forward. Kasumi beat him to it, however, throwing her arms around him (a much easier task when he wasn't wearing armor) and kissing him.

Isaac clapped excitedly for his bodyguard, his friend, and his confidante. It was enough to make a man forget about the troubles of the war, for a time. 

It would not last, of course, but for the evening, all was well. 


	19. The Axe-Queen

"Is there any special manner we're going to approach this?" Isaac asked aloud as he studied the map of their objective. He was understandably impatient, wishing to hurry to the Ormican front as soon as possible to discover the mysterious 'Summoner' and remove them from the picture. At last the Estean campaign was nearing a point of stability, near enough to the point of declaring the sovereignty of Esteos once more.

There was little point in doing that while hostilities remained, however. The people wouldn't take well to a new government raising a banner when the countryside, particularly one the economically valuable coast, was being pillage by a foreign power.

No, Isaac would have to be patient.

Kasumi shook her head. "As seen, not yet. Not entirely sure of Ormican fortifications. Scout reports inconclusive; Ormicans patrolling heavily. Will have to approach ourselves."

"With the additional troops from his majesty, we will be able to muster a true front-line offensive should it come to that." Daud mentioned. 

"Against the coastal fortress in Whitemere? Not likely." Silas answered. "My father may have had a estate in the capital and I may have spent most of my life there, but I was born in Whitemere. I'm well familiar with the place. The fortress is not some lean building ripe for the taking if you throw a few soldiers at it. No, we'll need ships, with cannons to match those of the Ormicans."

Isaac sighed. "And Ormica is the strongest naval force present since Esteos fell. They will not wager their entire navy on this campaign, but we will have trouble."

"Ships are on their way as well. I would not have you take a seaside city without use of ships. As you said, however, this will not be easy. We'll need some way to tip the scales in our favor." Ghayle mentioned. 

"In any case, several objectives to secure before taking Whitemere itself." Kasumi pointed out. "Will have to think of naval tactics when time comes."

* * *

 

Upon the conclusion of the strategy meeting, the Estean company left the city of Ebonreach for the first time in over a month, ready to begin the final phase of their campaign to reclaim Esteos. Taking the west road curving up to the north, Isaac and his close officers formed the advance vanguard as was normal.

They had been on the road for a number of hours when a few entities bearing torches were spotted in the distance. Daud and Silas immediately had their horses trot out in front of Isaac and the others in case of an attack. A small group broke away from the torchbearers and approached Isaac's group, numbering in less than a dozen judging by the visible torches.

The figures looked passive enough for the most part, yet had their weapons drawn in addition to their held torches. Leading them was a muscular, scarred woman with buzzed bright-green hair and barbaric leather armor, holding a large crude axe. To her side was a timid looking woman with pale green hair, who looked out of place with the apparent bandits due to her fine dress and numerous pieces of jewelry. 

"Who goes there?" Isaac called out. If they were bandits, they were incredibly brave ones, judging by the size of the army that followed Isaac's vanguard a few minutes behind and the fact that they openly approached without aggression. 

The woman wielding the crude axe spoke boisterously and proudly. "My name's Ursula, and I've a bone to pick with the prince."

Silas laughed out loud. "A bone to pick, right. I've got several thousand reasons why you would't want to do that, and they're standing behind us."

"What is it that I have done to earn your ire, ma'am?" Isaac asked, in stark contrast to Silas' arrogant rebuttal. 

"I suppose you tend to forget the faces of the people you roll over in your little quest to dominate the land again." Ursula replied. "A few months ago you killed a number of men near the south border, two of them my younger brothers. I'm here to return the favor."

Silas immediately leapt down from his horse and drew his blade. "Not while I'm standing. Last warning, step aside."

"Silas, wait!" Isaac protested, leaping off his horse as well. "You say I forget the faces of those I fight in my campaign. I see many faces, and I do forget some of them, this is true. But I recall the men you speak of."

"Oh, so now you want to taunt me over it, I take it?" Ursula asked, unamused. "Tell me of how your mighty knights trampled them into the dirt? Fed the earth with their blood? I've already grieved, prince. If this nets me my death, then so be it!" 

Isaac shook his head. "No, please, listen. We were attacked and fought, yes, in the early days of this campaign, and we slew a number of them in self-defense. Two men of the group surrendered and we let them free, however. I can only assume these were your brothers, they bore green hair as yours. They fled to the west."

Ursula blinked and lowered her axe for a moment. "You lie." she hissed, but did not raise her axe again, waiting for Isaac to speak. 

"I speak the truth. One was a fighter that favored the axe, the other an archer." Isaac mentioned, trying to recollect the memory.

"Which one was taller?" Ursula asked, still suspicious and unconvinced.

Isaac paused for a moment. "The archer, by nearly a foot. He mentioned two girls... I believe Delilah was one of the names."

"My niece." Ursula muttered, taking a breath and handing her axe to the well-dressed timid girl. "Hold this, Novalyn. As a gesture of goodwill, I suppose."

Silas, still wary, raised an eyebrow.

"You have me at a loss, prince. I've no love for royals and all, but you say you set my brothers free even as they attacked you first. They never made it home though. We found their corpses within our territory. Killed by a scouting unit judging by all the arrows. You say that wasn't you or your people?" Ursula asked.

"I swear it. If they were further west, then your culprit may be the invaders hailing from Ormica."

Ursula blinked. "Then I have a target. Thank you, Prince. Mayhaps I won't try to kill you today, then."

"Ursula, wait!" Isaac called out, holding out his hand. "Listen. You would throw yourselves against the Ormican position? Throw your lives away in vengeance with no hope of success?"

"Yeah, what of it?" Ursula asked. "These men killed my family, Prince. not sure what that means to you on those golden perches of yours."

Isaac frowned. "I lost family to this as well, Ursula. But what I would like to suggest is to come with us. Help us defeat the Ormicans."

"On what terms?" Ursula asked. "You would hire out bandits? A prince would stoop that low?"

"I have once and I can again." Isaac shot back. "We've an entire brigade of  _former_ bandits with us."

Ursula paused for a moment. "What are your terms?"

"Give up banditry and we will accept you as allies in the fight against Ormica. Should you perform well, we will see where we can take this partnership. If you accept." Isaac offered. Murmurs immediately began spreading throughout the officers present, questioning the validity of Isaac's course of action. It had worked once before, but would it work again? The offer had already been made, however, and it was too late to retract it.

After a bout of thought, Ursula sighed. "Ah, what the hell. We'll kill more of 'em together. You've got a deal, blue-blood."

Isaac raised an eyebrow and sighed, hoping he had made the right choice.

"Might as well, uh, be formal. Name's Ursula, you know that, and this is my crew. They'll follow my orders, right as rain. Girl here is Novalyn. Got her on a life-debt leash, she can swing a sword and dance like a show-girl, good for the spirits."

"Lady Ursula, please!" Novalyn protested shyly. "I'm a trained dancer, milord, educated in Ormica, as well as a translator. I travel with Lady Ursula, as she told you, on a life-debt. It's my honor to serve."

Ursula cleared her throat. "Thought I told you to stop with the 'lady Ursula' stuff, girl." 

"Sorry, my lady." Novalyn apologized. 

"Well." Isaac muttered after the little exchange. "We were on the verge of making camp for the night. I trust you have your own accommodations on hand, seeing as you seem quite entrenched in the area." 

The bandit nodded. "That's right. We'll move when you give us the shout."

Satisfied, Isaac had his soldiers make camp for the night, ready to continue their trek the following day.

 


	20. The Rear Guard

The Esteans set up camp within the nearby forest to keep it from being discovered by the enemy as they attacked. Isaac and his army exited from a separate section of the forest, as to not give away the exact direction that their camp lied in. From their exit, they examined the landscape that laid before them.

Isaac laid his eyes upon the fortress of Whitemere, visible miles in the distance thanks to the towering turrets of the fort.

"Beautiful as I remember." Silas remarked, viewing the castle through a collapsible telescope. "We need to put an end to this occupation, Isaac."

"I couldn't agree more." Isaac replied. "What else do you see?"

Silas looked around a little more, peering away from the castle to the pathways that approached it. "There's an encampment, I suppose serving as an advance guard. Gonna have to go through them if we don't want them to just show up as reinforcements when we get to the fortress."

The prince nodded and turned to Kasumi. "Thoughts?" 

"Frontal assault." Kasumi stated without hesitation. "Likely not expecting force as large as ours. Shouldn't be difficult." 

"Then we set out, immediately." Isaac affirmed. "The sooner we get to the fortress, the better."

* * *

As a showing of their strength, Ursula personally volunteered to lead her own unit to assault the holding. Seeing as it wasn't an incredibly large nor critical target, Isaac agreed. 

Ursula stood atop a hill with Novalyn beside her. Novalyn was quite a sight to behold in her battle attire, with shimmering ribbons and other cloth adornments on her leather armor that made her stand out among the barbaric fur armor of Ursula's people. The very sight was inspiring, in a way. 

"Alright, girl, ready to get to work?" Ursula asked, lofting her axe onto her shoulder.

Novalyn nodded without a word. Daud spoke instead, still quite wary of the newly inducted soldiers. "I trust you'll keep this civil."

"Civil's my middle name, tinhead." Ursula shot back. "Well, 'Cybele' is, anyway. Rest easy, we'll make it clean." she assured the knight as she turned to her men. "Ain't that right, men? Clean and quick, just how we like it, yeah?"

The ex-bandits raised their weapons and replied with a loud war cry. As rag-tag as they were, they seemed to have quite the sense of loyalty in Ursula.

Smirking, Ursula looked back to Daud. "Well, there you go. Hope you're ready to clean up. Charge!"

Ursula's small army charged ahead at the encampment of Ormican soldiers, who had heard the commotion and scrambled to their positions to defend their position. They were hit quickly and surely, with axe-wielders easily chopping down their barricades. Meanwhile, archers near the back of Ursula's unit lit their arrows aflame and launched them into the air, falling upon the wooden buildings of the encampment and settling them ablaze.

"They certainly work quickly..." Isaac muttered. 

"Brutally efficient." Varos observed, standing near King Ghayle. It was nice to have his liege around again, after he had been gone from home for so long. "They will be incredbily useful against small encampments like this, but I doubt their tactics will work well against a stone keep."

Carn and Gale both nodded, and the former spoke. "Not that they can't try, of course."

The push of the barbarians could scarcely be stopped, and within a little more than an hour, the smoldering remains of the encampment rested underneath the flying Estean flag with a minimal loss of Estean life.

Ursula returned, dragging a man by his collar towards the prince and his offers. She tossed him forward, and one of her soldiers walked forward to the man to lift his soot-covered face off the ground and hold a blade to his neck. The man was dressed in fine armor, decorated enough to indicate that he was the officer in charge of the encampment. 

"Caught him. What do you want to get out of him before we run him through?" Ursula asked.

"That won't be necessary, Ursula." Isaac stated angrily, a sneer on his face. "Let him go, allow him to speak on his feet."

With a roll of her eyes, Ursula flicked her wrist to convey the order to her subordinate. The man released the captured officer and stepped away, keeping his blade drawn. 

"Thank you, I suppose..." the Ormican officer muttered, dusting off his armor. "What do you want to know?"

"You're awfully forthcoming." observed Daud. 

The officer sighed. "I'm damned tired of Ortrius and his command. Either you kill me for not talking or he kills me for not succeeding. Was a damn hopeless position anyway, we can't hold a small camp against an army."

"Ortrius." Isaac repeated. The name sounded quite foreboding...

"Yeah, Ortrius. Damn fish-man holed up in the castle with Grand Commander Ilia." the officer muttered. "Don't know why she's putting up with this."

The Esteans fell silent. The officer confirmed two things; Yet another Abyssnian was present and in the company of Ormicans, and that Ilia, the Grand Commander of the Ormican military, was at the fortress as well. 

"Changes everything. Grand Commander is a tactical genius. Veteran of many years. Presence of Abyssnians means access to guerrilla tactics that we do not have. Assuming they have more." Kasumi mumbled to herself, trying to process the information and formulate a plan in response.

"Are there more... fish-men?" Naomi asked the captured officer. 

The officer shook his head in response. "Only Ortrius. Surprised you folk seem to have seen one before. They don't tell us anything about him or where he's from, but we're supposed to listen to him and his orders or face execution on grounds of desertion or treason. His hooded guards run through anyone who questions him directly. Not sure if this is Ormica as a whole working this occupation or if it's Ilia on her own." 

"Then the lower ranking soldiers don't know much of the Abyssnians or their goal." Silas observed. "Isaac, what will we do with him?"

The officer looked at the Prince pleadingly. 

Isaac sighed. "Flee from this place. Take what men you can back to your nation. You will not want to be at the fortress." 

Nodding, the officer bowed. "Th-thank you, sir. Mercy upon you and your house! A thousand mercies!" he spoke, turning to run back to his men. 

The Estean company remained silent for a few moments more, each of them lost in their own individual thoughts. 

Finally, the prince looked to his people. "This changes nothing. This fort still must fall. And this 'Ortrius' must be made to answer our questions. We attack tomorrow." 

The night fell, but the air of tension remained. One way or another, they would have answers.

 


	21. Knife in the Back

Isaac was nearly ready to blow out the dying candlelight on the nightstand beside his bed when he heard his tent flap open. "Isaac?" called a familiar voice, a voice that dispelled the tension in his mind and brought back memories of better times. 

"Naomi! Please, come in." Isaac said, closing his book and placing it beside the candle. It had been far too long since they had talked, talked like they used to when they were children.

The thief complied, stepping gingerly into the tent with her hand upon her opposing arm. "H-hey. Listen, I'm sorry I haven't come see you lately. I know you've been busy lately." she mumbled. Their minds were on the kiss, and they both knew it.

"No, I'm sorry. My duties as prince are no excuse for putting close friends and... you, aside." Isaac replied, standing up. "I... Believe we need to talk. About what's to come."

Naomi smiled. "I'm glad you're not totally oblivious, then. I was starting to worry that kissing you might not have been enough to get through that thick skull of yours. Hell, I was about to try a frying pan."

Isaac laughed aloud, forgetting himself for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Yes, well... I'm just glad you decided to do so. Things have gotten so hectic as of late. I've barely had time to pay attention to how I felt. Naomi, you know you're incredibly important to me. You have been since you tried to pick my pocket all those years ago." The prince confessed, his smile genuine and his gaze soft. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd probably get less complaints about a pesky kleptomaniac about camp." Naomi muttered, rolling her eyes and blushing. "I do what I can, Isaac. I owe you that much."

"You go above and beyond. I couldn't ask for a better friend. I couldn't ask for a better... A better..." Isaac began, stumbling on his words.

Naomi raised an eyebrow, smiling. "A better...?" she asked. She awaited a reply but instead found Isaac softly grasping her shoulder and pulling her into a kiss.

* * *

 

Daud stepped through the dimly lit camp, thoroughly inspecting their position with Reginleif in hand. They kept light in the camp low at night as to not give away their position; their camp was all they had to take on the massive fortress, and losing it while they were out attacking would mean that the enemy would find them easy to drive off. Daud was quite ready to scold any careless soldier who was absent-minded enough to light a lantern or a brazier.

Sure enough, a small, flickering light caught the knight's trained eye. Though his face soured into a scowl, he derived some joy from being able to put the fear of Naga into an unsuspecting private not minding the rules. 

Walking over, Daud squinted to get a better look at what exactly was emitting the light. It appeared to be a small fire upon the ground. Was some fool trying to start a campfire?

"No..." he mumbled as he increased the pace of his walk as fear settled in. 

It was as he suspected. A small flaming arrow, slowly flickering away in the dead of night as it was being smothered by the grass and dirt. 

A small 'thunk' was heard as another arrow burrowed itself in the ground, dangerously close to a nearby tent. 

"AMBUSH!"

* * *

 

Isaac's eyes shot open when Daud's shout reached his ears. He immediately pushed Naomi away, looking at her apologetically before giving her a nod of determination. "Naomi, we need to go." he told her, affixing Curtana's scabbard to his belt and drawing the blade. "We've come too far to be snuffed away here. The cornered rat will bite the cat, as they say..."

The azure-hared thief looked at the prince worriedly. "Isaac... We've covered our position well. I doubt they've simply stumbled on us. Someone has sold us out."

"I know." The prince muttered.

* * *

"Man your posts! Take up your shields! And put those damn fires out!" Daud commanded as the camp was subjected to a rain of flaming arrows. He hoofed his way to the Prince's tent as fast as he possibly he could, finding Isaac and Naomi step out. No time to question anything, it was time to take charge.

"My lord, we're in an ambush. Flaming arrows are raining on us, and there will likely be a direct attack in mere moments."

Isaac nodded, holding Curtana tightly. "Are the men moving to their positions?"

"Yes, my lord. They're putting out the fires as they see them." Daud confirmed, looking about. "This was the work of a traitor."

"I know that. But we can worry about a foxhunt later. Now is the time to defend ourselves." Isaac stated firmly.

Daud nodded, trying to suppress a smile. "Spoken like a true commander, my lord. I ask that you remain by my side. I'll not have a traitor take you by surprise on my watch."

Isaac nodded. "Thank you, Daud. Now, quickly, we have to go!"

"Right away! Move out, protect the supplies!" Daud shouted over the increasing noise of chaos of the camp.

* * *

 "Like I said, I don't know if this will work, but..." Gale muttered, peering at the tome in his hands. "I could make all this worse!"

"Just try it, dammit! We don't have time for this!" Eden shouted back, her axe in hand. With so much fire around, he was the only mage she could find to try and snuff the flames by magical means. 

Taking a deep breath, Gale raised his hand upwards and grinned when he saw the flames upon the Estean tents rise into the air. He had done this with magical fire before, but natural fire was a different animal entirely; he was glad to see he at least had some control over it. 

The dark knight turned about and swung his arm upward, launching the gathered fireballs far into the air towards the edge of the forest, doing so to hopefully avoid lighting any of the forest on fire. The army could hardly afford to be suffocated during an attack.

"Well done!" Eden shouted, a little surprised. Maybe she was wrong about dark magic users. The time for pondering wasn't the present however; she turned towards the direction of the arrow barrage and spied several soldiers stepping out of the maze of trees. 

Gale drew his sword and took a deep breath, while Eden looked about. "Gale, I'm going get to my griffon. Good luck." she spoke, turning tail and taking off.

The dark knight nodded as she took off, deciding not to go back for his horse. It wasn't exactly the best place to be riding about, after all.

"Ah, Gale, there you are!" Called Carn, holding a purple tome in his hands as he rushed over to join his comrade. "Shall we?"

"After you, my friend!" Gale replied, drawing a yellow tome from the satchel on his belt. The Ormican soldiers exited the tree line and began a charge, with spear-wielding soldiers taking point. 

Together, Gale and Carn unleashed their magic spells; Gale launched a bolt of lightning while Carn caused a dark fog to bellow forth. The bolt of lightning shocked a number of soldiers, whereas the fog sapped their strength and caused them to fall to the ground. Still, more approached, getting close. 

"Back up." Gale commanded, holding his sword tight. A soldier came at him with a spear, thrusting. Gale leaned away and swung his blade, catching the Ormican in the side and slaying him. Another followed up immediately after swinging a spear, which Gale ducked under. Taking advantage of his dodge, he thrusted his blade forward and stabbed the Ormican in the gut, effectively incapacitating her.

Yet another soldier charged forward hoping to catch the Dark Knight off guard, and this time Gale failed to react quickly enough. The blunt end of a spear drove into his face, causing him to stumble. When he managed to turn, the spear-wielding soldier was thrusting forward to finish Gale off, but was stopped short by an arrow burying itself in his chest. 

Gale looked over to see Ned, bow in hand and nocking another arrow. "You can thank me later!" he shouted. Gale nodded and turned back to the fight, switching back to his tome to launch more bolts of lightning as the Ormicans continued their advance. 

* * *

 

Isaac looked to the others helping him defend the supplies for the camp. Daud, Silas, Kasumi and Naomi, at his side as always; Ririka and Luna were there as well, while Alora and Cedric soared overhead to keep them clear of aerial threats. Isaac was still reeling from the fact that they were betrayed, and reeling harder still from the fact that he hadn't the time to even ponder it. His biggest worry was in fact the unknown location of Nah in the midst of the chaos; she had expressed exhaustion from recent transformations, and had only her entourage to protect her at the moment. 

 

"Isaac! There you are!" called King Ghayle, rushing to his nephew with his exotic dual-bladed weapon, one that Isaac didn't know the name of. It seemed largely impractical, with one blade on each end of the grip, but Ghayle seemed to use it to great effectiveness. Varos accompanied his lord, his bloodied sword in hand. They had already seen some action, it seemed. "Are you hurt?"

The prince shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine." he answered. It hurt him to even think it, but he couldn't dismiss his beloved uncle as a candidate for the traitor. Daud seemed to be thinking the same thing, stepping closer to Isaac as the king approached. "Uncle, is everything well? Have we lost anyone?"

"They seem to be coming from one direction mostly, but Varos and I had to fight a few on the flank." Ghayle answered. "What's the situation, Daud?" he asked. 

Daud respectfully saluted the king as he began to speak. "Your Majesty. It is as you said, they come from the north. We've yet to see a commander, only a few waves of-"

A loud scream pierced their ears, interrupting Daud's report. Isaac turned to look over in the direction of the scream; an Abyssnian, previously unseen, was biting down on the arm of a poor Estean foot soldier, causing her great pain. 

"It must be Ortrius! Quickly, we have to go!" Isaac shouted. "Ririka, find the antidote. It should be in Kasumi's tent. Be quick!" 

Isaac pointed Curtana forward and launched a bolt of lightning at Ortrius, catching him off guard and making him drop the foot soldier. Hissing, Ortrius spun a trident, similar to the one held by Icthyus back in Bellhall, and gazed at the Esteans with malicious intent. "So, the princeling shows himself! It may not be the dragon child, but it will do!" "Th 

Not hesitating, Isaac launched another bolt. Ortrius was ready this time, and swung his trident to deflect it. "The trident must be under some sort of enchantment!" Isaac shouted. Normal metal woudln't be able to deflect a magic spell. 

Daud rushed ahead and thrusted Reginleif forward, digging deep into Ortrius' scaly hide and drawing green blood. Ortrius attempted to lean forward and bite at Daud, but the knight raised his shield and blocked the creature's snout. "This is for Faye!" he shouted, swinging again and stabbing Ortrius' chest. 

With an aggravated hiss, Ortrius dropped his trident and lurched forward, pressing forth his massive weight and toppling Daud over. 

"Daud!" Shouted Isaac, knowing that Daud could be crushed under the weigh of a massive fish-man such as Ortrius. He, Varos, Kasumi and Silas immediately rushed over and furiously stabbed at Ortrius until he stopped moving, then worked at removing the Abyssnian's corpse from Daud. 

When they succeeded, they heard only Daud's heavy, pained breathing. To her horror, Kasumi saw a sickly bite wound on Daud's left arm. 

"The antidote! Quickly!" Kasumi shouted, her voice cracking. So soon? No, they had to save him. The antidote  _had_ to work. 

Ririka looked up from the corpse of the foot soldier she was trying to treat. "It doesn't work!" she shouted back, tears in her eyes.

"Lies!" Kasumi protested, running forth and wresting one of the vials from Ririka. Kneeling back at Daud, she quickly uncorked it and dumped the contents upon the uncovered wound, hoping the concoction would perform as well as it had during testing. To her shock, the antidote seemed to not react with the venom at all. Judging by how long it had taken Faye to pass, it wouldn't be long now.

"Take his chestplate off!" Called yet another voice. It was Nah, followed by Thormund, Lizeth, Vesper and Landon as always. Their clothing was stained with blood, indicating they had seen some of the fighting themselves. "Just do it, trust me!"

Isaac nodded and looked to Silas, working together with him to wrestle off Daud's chestplate. The knight huffed in increasingly pained gasps, trying to call the names of Kasumi and the prince as his life drained away from him. 

Nah then knelt over and took Curtana from Isaac. "Daud, this is going to hurt, but please hold still!" she asked, closing her eyes. "Naga, grant me your touch of mercy!" she called out, thrusting the blade into Daud's chest. 

Daud let out another cry of agony, trying his hardest not to squirm or move; a difficult task considering the sword in his chest. 

"Lady Voice, what are you doing?" Isaac shouted. His eyes widened as he saw a light emanating from the wound on Daud's chest. Nah kept her eyes closed as she concentrated intensely. Those around Daud watched the wound on his arm disappear completely, as the knights' breathing returned to normal. Slowly Nah pulled Curtana away, leaving a white scar on Daud's chest. 

The knight coughed, looking over to the corpse of Ortrius and then to Nah. "My lady... you... you saved me, but... what was that?" 

"The Touch of Mercy." Nah answered, holding Curtana up. The script that had once glowed brightly on the blade's face now glowed dimly, almost unnoticeably. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, Isaac. Truly, I had wished to save it just in case... well, just in case you were hurt."

"Save it?" Isaac asked. "You mean...?"

Nah nodded. "It will not be available again. Not for another year, anyhow."

"I am unworthy." Daud spoke, slowly getting to his feet. "But... I must thank you again, my lady." he said again. Kasumi hugged him tight once he stood up, thankful he was okay.

Isaac sheathed Curtana, now that it seemed that the ambush had ended. "We... should get to work then. They know where we are. It's now or never."

"But how will we breach their defenses? That fortress is a monster." Silas asked.

"Leave that to me." Kasumi answered, parting from Daud for a moment. "I have an idea."

 

 


	22. Shadow of the Fortress

An impromptu strategy summit was held in the Estean war tent. Isaac was obviously present, as was King Ghayle and Silas, the latter whom was familiar with the fortress and thus had valuable insight on the building.

Kasumi was the last to show up. It was unheard of for her to be late.

"Miss Nakahara, how good to see you join us. How fares our marshal?" King Ghayle inquired.

Kasumi eyed the king warily. "Just 'Kasumi', please, your highness." she asked the king as politely as she could. She hadn't quite decided on taking Daud's surname just yet; she held great pride in her late father's accomplishments, and was considering hyphenating. "He is well enough. Wanted to come to meeting, but... Told him to rest. His body is well, but... mental duress from near-death experience, not so trivial."

"I'm just glad we got to him. I'm sorry we couldn't stop it, Kasumi." Isaac offered. He felt terrible that the couple should have to go through such a thing so early on.

The tactician shook her head, doing well to fight back her tears. "My fault. Antidote inadequate. Cost the life of young soldier, almost cost me my husband. Unacceptable. Hope to make up by bringing fortress down. Make them answer."

Isaac strode forward and gently hugged Kasumi. For so long he had thought of her as a sister, and to see her go through so much pained him. 

Kasumi returned the hug, taking deep breaths to keep herself from crying. "Time for all this later." she said, softly pushing the prince away. "Need to know. Any plans on taking fortress?"

Silas shook his head, sighing. "I know this thing inside out, and I tell you, we just don't have enough men." he admitted. "Not after the ambush. A small force could hold off an army our size for months in that monster. And it's no small force within."

"Entrances to the fortress?" Kasumi asked, ignoring Silas' warnings. 

The swordsman pointed to his surprisingly impressive drawing of the keep. "Two. One for men on foot, one for men on boat. Both are drawbridges. They aren't going to lower either of them for us if they can handle our assault with their fortifications alone."

"Then break them down." Kasumi mentioned.

Silas blinked in disbelief. "Kasumi, these drawbridges are massive. And both of them are obviously around water. We're not going to simply ram these things in. Especially not the one at the harbor."

"Why is that?" King Ghayle ased.

"The drawbridge at the harbor is odd. It's not meant to be walked on from the tip of the bridge, it's meant to be walked on from the sides. The dock walkways run parallel to where the drawbridge normally falls." Silas answered. 

Kasumi nodded. "There is our answer."

"Excuse me?" Silas asked, getting rather annoyed with Kasumi. He was clueless at what she was suggesting.

The teal-haired tactician looked to the king, taking a deep breath to speak properly. "Your highness, I request one of your ships and a great deal of pitch and oils. We are going to break down the harbor drawbridge."

* * *

 

"I can't believe we're doing this." Silas said, staring at the scene laid out before them from atop his perch in the crow's nest of an Albian frigate lent by King Ghayle. A single ship, barely manned, rode ahead of the Estean fleet. On board was enough flammable materials to to fuel the Hells for months, and two mages prepared to do their worst. 

Isaac chuckled. He was rather nervous, but Kasumi's idea was rather brilliant. The Ormicans had brought their own defensive fleet to bear, but left a clear path to the drawbridge in question. They had to, in case the bridge needed to be lowered for any reason. 

Daud looked onward warily, armored but not intending to fight that day. He would stay and command the ships in the absence of the prince and Kasumi. "The time seems ripe, my lord." he spoke, nervous to allow the two most important people in his life to go into such a dangerous situation. But it had to be done.

"I will give the signal, then." Isaac said, raising Curtana high and launching a bolt of lightning into the air.

* * *

 

"Alright, let's make this quick, shall we?" Carn mused, seeing the signal in the air. 

Gale smirked. "To hell and back, my friend?"

"And back again!" Carn shouted in response, drawing his wind tome and putting his strength into propelling the ship. His massive gust of wind rocketed forth from his hand, sending the ship rocketing forward towards the drawbridge at a speed too great for the Ormicans to react towards. 

Gale, on the other hand, took hold of a red fire tome and raised his hand toward flammable barrels that were rigged to set several other sources aflame, thus being able to ignite the entire ship. "Now! Jump!" he shouted, launching a fireball at the barrels and immediately setting them aflame.

Carn released his hold on the spell and fell to his knees, dropping the tome out of exhaustion. Gale forcefully grabbed him by the collar, ran forward, and leapt off of the stern into the waters below. They hit the water just as the flaming ship collided with the great drawbridge.

The massive crash and the explosion of flaming wood was dulled by the water surrounding the two mages. Carn and Gale forcefully brought themselves to the surface, taking deep gulps of air and barely avoiding flaming planks.

"Well. We're back." Carn observed. "Turns out hell wasn't that bad."

* * *

 

The Esteans hit the ground from their ships and charged into the fortress virtually unopposed for the first few yards. Isaac disembarked from his flagship along with Kasumi and his uncle, while Silas led the charge.

Soldiers off to the side helped two men out of the harbor. Carn and Gale, drenched yet alive, stood proudly for their part in breaking down the gate. Isaac trotted over and patted them both on the shoulder. "I knew we sent the right men! Well done!" 

The mages simply nodded and smiled. "Where do you need us now?" Gale asked. So much and they were still ready to serve further.

"Dry yourselves off and meet us at the keep. Their commander is inside and we could use a few hands there. Preferably hands that spew fire." Isaac replied. 

Gale gave a nod and an exaggerated salute. Isaac smiled and returned to Kasumi and Ghayle. "Shall we?"

Kasumi nodded, drawing her sword. "For Esteos."

"For Esteos!" Isaac replied enthusiastically, turning to the keep and charging with his men.

 


	23. Crossed Blades

The inner fort was as towering as Silas had described it. The main building was a largely featureless tower, a solid column of white stone lined only with small windows and stairways leading from door to door. The main door was massive, but was open to allow the garrisoned Ormican soldiers to attack.

Isaac bore his blade and gritted his teeth as a group of soldiers approached. He was ready to attack, but was interrupted by the incredibly loud sound of a wyvern crashing upon the group. Cedric shouted from atop his mount, swinging his lance at those he missed with his wyvern airdrop. As he swatted his enemies about, his daughters flew overhead, swooping down in turns to catch more of the defenders.

With the unexpected entry method, the Ormicans were scrambling to contain the breach. Kasumi held her breath, however, as Ilia was a supposed tactical genius. Any trick up her sleeve was yet to be seen.

Meanwhile, the Mortimer Brigade fulfilled its' role as a shock unit as well as ever; better, even, with Ursula's bandits joined with them. The former outcasts performing their role so well convinced Isaac that he had made the right choice in allowing them to fight. With their help, a path was cleared into the keep.

"Outside stairs too open to archer fire! Should take inside stairs, safer to fight whatever guards may be inside!" Kasumi reasoned. Isaac nodded and led the way inside, followed by Kasumi, Naomi, Silas, Ghayle, Ned, Carn, and Gale. The remaining officers remained outside to cover their prince's advance.

* * *

The inside of the keep was surprisingly devoid of guards. Kasumi paused for a moment in surprise. "Be wary. Traps likely."

"I'll be on the lookout." Naomi replied. She was the most experienced in such matters.

"There's not a moment to lose. We must find Ilia and solicit her surrender." Isaac interrupted, running to the stairs. There would be several stories to climb, and thus he kept himself to a modest pace to avoid exhausting himself; the others behind him did the same.

As they ascended the stairwell, Kasumi stopped. "Wait! Not right. No guards for past four floors. Must be something wrong. Recommend getting to stable ground away from st-"

A massive boom thundered from below and the Prince's group was immediately tossed about.

"They've blown out the foundation of the stairs!" Silas shouted. "Get up, get to the fifth floor, now!"

Isaac led the way once he got to his feet, struggling to ascend the spiral stairway as slowly crumbled from beneath him. With a leap he managed to land on the floor of the fifth story of the building, which was empty much like the ground floor. The others followed suit, watching as the staircase fell back down to the ground in pieces.

"Forcing us to take the outside stairs. Going to concentrate archer fire as we ascend, attempt to assassinate the prince." Kasumi observed as she got to her feet. "Can't allow that to happen."

"What are you suggesting, Kasumi?" Naomi asked. She didn't like where this was going.

Kasumi huffed, thinking. "Must go forth. Leave prince with some of us, while the rest of us press on no matter the casualties. Must reach Ilia and-"

"Absolutely not!" Isaac affirmed, making an aggressive motion with his hand.

The tactician frowned. "Isaac, cannot risk you in such a foolhardy move. Need to-"

"I said no, Kasumi." Isaac restated, looking her firmly in the eyes. "And that is an order."

Kasumi, silenced, simply backed away. She wouldn't be able to stop him, she knew it.

King Ghayle was impressed, and simply crossed his arms to watch.

"I'll not lose any of you because of me. We're going to get to Ilia, and I'm going to demand her surrender myself." Isaac stated. "Now, we need to head up the outer staircases. The footing is treacherous in such chaos, and it'll be even worse with archer fire or whatever else they'll throw at us. But one thing's for certain; they won't take out the outer stairs like they did the ones on the inside. They still need an escape route."

Ned looked about the room, trying to speculate what Isaac was thinking. "What do you suggest?"

"We have three mages here. We each have wind tomes of our own. We can direct the blasts of wind away from ourselves to blow away any arrows that come our way. If the rest of you remain close, we should be able to make it to the seventh story where Silas said the command center is located."

Carn walked to the group, having stepped away from the meeting for a moment. He held several shields in his hands, decorated with the Ormican crest. "And for those without the convenience of wind magic, I've got a nice plan B here."

"Perfect." Isaac agreed. "Quickly, let's go."

* * *

Isaac's group had barely made it onto the outer stairs when they heard a man yelling "Fire!" and the following sound of arrows being loosed from bows.

"Now!" Gale shouted, thrusting forth his hand. Carn did the same, while Isaac pointed Curtana forth. The three of them released intense gusts of wind while the others huddled close to them, shields covering them as best as they could.

"Keep going!" Isaac shouted, continuing his slow walk up. Their plan was working, for the time being.

A stray arrow made contact with Kasumi's shield, the impact pushing her back and throwing her off her balance. It took one mis-step to cause the tactician to topple off the stairway.

"Kasumi!" Isaac shouted, struggling to keep his wind spell going while watching Kasumi plummet. Was that it? Was that the fruit of his endeavor to save everyone?

A flash of white shot past where Kasumi was, causing her to disappear. Isaac followed the flash with his eyes; Alora had flown by despite the danger of archers, just to grab Kasumi mid-fall.

"She'll be fine! Keep climbing!" King Ghayle shouted.

* * *

Alora flew her pegasus to the opposite side of the fort to hide herself from the archers. "Are you alright?" She asked, looking to Kasumi.

Kasumi was noticeably, and understandably, shaken from her fall. She was trying to hide it, but she wasn't doing a good job of it. "Will... will be fine. Please put me down."

The pegasus knight nodded. "Right. I'll bring you down to the ground."

The tactician shook her head in response. "No... No, bring me to the roof."

* * *

Isaac's group successfully made the corner of the outer staircase, and thus safety up to the roof of the fort. 

"I can't believe we just did that. I can't believe that just worked. Dammit, Isaac, is there some kind of hazard pay I can sign up for?" Silas asked. Isaac merely chuckled, thankful for the wisecrack giving him a momentary reprieve from the stress of their situation.

 Isaac took the first step onto the roof, blade drawn. Several guardsmen awaited, along with an armored blonde woman he could only assume was Ilia. From the look of the several weapons on her back, she seemed to be a templar; a warrior trained in the use of as many weapons as they could get their hands on. 

"I'm impressed, Prince Esteos." Ilia mused, stepping forward with sword in hand. "The breaking down of our drawbridge was nothing short of reckless. I admire some foolhardy courage, you know. But it won't save you here."

Silas mumbled. "Is she _really_ giving us a speech?"

"Men, attack!" Ilia shouted, pointing her sword forward. Her armored guards rushed forward, while she stood back to watch them go to battle. Her elite guardsmen would be enough to handle things without her having to get her hands dirty.

That was, until a pegasus knight flew overhead and dropped off a teal-haired woman. Kasumi got to her feet after her drop, and drew her sword, pointing it to Ilia as a form of challenge.

Ilia grinned. "And who is this? Some brave fool doing the dirty work her prince is too esteemed to do himself?" she asked, tossing her sword away and reaching to her belt.

"No. A woman who is here to fight for her home." Kasumi shot back.

Ilia wasted no more time and drew the weapon on her belt; a bladed whip, an incredibly odd weapon that Kasumi wasn't sure how to deal with. Obviously, that was the point.

With a deep breath, Kasumi made the first move and approached slowly, holding her blade in a defensive stance. Ilia flexed her arm and cracked her whip at Kasumi's feet, the latter dodging by hopping away and falling back into her defensive stance.

"Ready to dance for me?" Ilia asked, laughing as she continued to crack her whip at Kasumi's feet. At the last moment, she swung the whip in a sideways motion, slashing Kasumi across the arm.

Kasumi grunted and backed away as Ilia continued to laugh. She knew the Ormican general was trying to get into her head, and to Kasumi's chagrin, it was definitely working. She had to maintain a clear head.

Ilia repeated the feet-attacking method of before, and ended the maneuver with another swing in the other direction. Kasumi anticipated the change-up and ducked, avoiding the swipe and moving in, too close for Ilia to use the whip.

"Ah-hah!" Ilia shouted, retracting her whip and placing a hand on the hilt, twisting the hilt to cause the blade-whip to retract and stiffen into a serviceable blade. Using the whip-blade Ilia blocked Kasumi's first strike and tried a stab, which Kasumi pushed away with her own blade.

Ilia knew that Kasumi was far more dangerous up-close, and made every effort to back away while Kasumi pushed the attack. Unlike her whip-style, Kasumi's sword movements were more readable and predictable. Kasumi went in for an overhead swing, which Ilia ducked under in order to leap away. With another twist of the hilt, the whip-blade reverted back to its' whip state.

 _"Too predictable. Need to change things..."_ Kasumi thought to herself. The sun shining down on the roof gleamed off of Ilia's discarded killing edge sword, and it was then that Kasumi had her answer. Rolling to the side, the tactician scooped up the blade and fell back into a defensive stance, trying to make use of both blades to remain unpredictable.

"Hmph." Ilia grunted. It appeared to have worked; the general wasn't making wisecracks or laughing any longer. She cracked her whip forward at Kasumi's neck, but Kasumi leaned out of the way. With a shout, Ilia swung her whip in a sweeping strike, intending to strike Kasumi's arm again.

Kasumi took the chance she was given, raising her sword up and catching the whip, which wrapped around the blade. With the other sword, she swung down with all her might and sliced through the cord of the whip, rendering the weapon useless.

"No!" Ilia gasped, reaching to her back to grab another one of her weapons. Kasumi interrupted her by ramming the pommel of her sword into Ilia's temple, knocking her opponent out cold.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set after the battle of Whitemere Fortress. With the defeat of their general, the Ormican forces stood down and retreated. Ilia, upon waking, agreed remain as a prisoner in exchange for the safe retreat of her soldiers. Whitemere, and with it the surrounding country, was now under the jurisdiction of the forces of 'New Esteos'; Isaac had already excitedly announced his intended name for the newfound country.

Isaac stood before Ilia, whom was stripped of her weapons and tied up for an interrogation.

"General Ilia. Commander in Chief of the Ormican Army. Chancellor of Ormica, representing the city of Olfheim." Daud recited, his arms crossed behind his back. "Second in command only to Chancellor Odysseia of the city of Dalentar."

Ilia looked up at Daud. "Yes, yes, I could have told you all that. What do you want?"

"The Abyssnians." Isaac began. "Er, the fish-men. Whatever the name you have given them. I want to know why you are working with them."

"You mean like Ortrius and Icthyus." Ilia replied. "Yes, I know of them, but I've got no idea where they're from or what they're doing. I'm only on orders from Odysseia to tolerate them. I don't know anything beyond that."

Kasumi shook her head. "Liar." she stated, cracking her knuckles.

"Call me a liar all you want, but that's all I've got to give you, Esteans. I have no idea who they are and what they want to get out of helping us hold the Estean front. Especially now that we've failed on that front. Your country is yours again, so take it up with Odysseia if you want the explanation. She's a secretive woman." Ilia continued. "But mark my words. If you harm her, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth."

Devotion to her lord. Daud had to admire it, but he wasn't pleased with the threat. 

"Then maybe we should eliminate the possibility, yeah?" Ursula reasoned.

Isaac shook his head. "We don't execute those who surrender, Ursula. Ilia, we will see that you are released... upon our visit to Dalentar." he said. "I intend to get to the bottom of all of this."

"All of this? You mean your city sinking? I guess the fish-men have something to do with that?" Ilia asked.

"We have our theories." Isaac answered. "And your fellow Chancellor may have answers for us."


	24. The City of Dalentar

It was difficult for the Prince to leave his newly reclaimed country, but it would take time before things were organized enough for Isaac would be able to officially assume his role as the monarch of the newly established Esteos. There would be letters to write, economics to plot, relations to monitor...

It was all intimidating, but he knew what he was getting into. The prince knew he'd be ready, and he had the help of his advisors and his uncle.

His uncle had, in fact, volunteered to pick up the slack in Ebonreach while they were gone. An offer that made him nervous. Ever since the deceptive attack on their hidden camp, the one that had almost claimed Daud's life, he had held his uncle in suspect. He hated to think so, but he did. Deception and subterfuge was the way of national politics.

Thus he didn't feel guilty when he instructed a few of his officers to stay behind; Ririka, Luna, and Alora, specifically, to ensure nothing went wrong in his absence.

The day before the departure, however, the city saw a surprise guest. The news came from a young messenger stepping into Isaac's office, a look of fright upon his face.

"Y-your majesty. I have news of a visitor. He has relinquished all arms and is waiting for an audience." he said.

Isaac looked up curiously. "And who is it that sees the need to drop his weapons as soon as his presence is announced?"

The messenger gulped. "It... It is Judge Magister Weiss of Indartis, my lord."

Isaac dropped the quill in his hands, splattering a bit of ink on the letter upon his desk. After a moment of silence, he looked up at Daud, and nodded at him.

Daud looked to a nearby guard. "Double the guard in the audience chamber, and send for Judge Harcrow."

* * *

Isaac sat in his temporary throne in the Ebonreach castle, shifting about uncomfortably. As his guards fell into position and Daud took his place at his side, Isaac noted Naomi darting about in the darker corners of the chamber, double-checking for any discrepancies or hidden traitors. Isaac smiled before looking to the door. It was time.

"Open the doors. Let us see what our guest has to say."

The double-doors of the audience chamber opened, and Judge Magister Weiss strode into the audience chamber, accompanied by his red-headed lieutenant Mordred and an as-of-yet unseen blue haired woman.

A herald stood by the prince's throne and unraveled a scroll. "Judge Magister Nolan Weiss of Indartis, Judge Mordred O'Darnath of Indartis, Judge Yvette Alexandra Hilde de Brasca of Indartis." he read. Isaac noted that Weiss and Mordred lacked the multitude of names that Yvette possessed, as was to be expected from their rise from poverty to authority.

"Judge Magister Weiss." Isaac spoke aloud. "And to what do I owe the... 'honor' of this visit?"

Weiss smiled. "Let us speak plainly, Prince, without the false kindnesses. I know you hold no love for me."

Silas scoffed. "Then why come around? You just decide to stride in, with the man who killed one of our friends in tow?"

Mordred merely looked away, avoiding eye contact with those gathered.

"Of course, I have come with reason." Weiss continued, ignoring Silas. "Prince Isaac, I have come here to bring a peace offering before you. A treaty, so to speak."

Before Isaac could reply with skepticism, a door to the side of the room was thrown open as Cedric walked into the chamber, a look of fury on his face. His daughters followed behind him, their expressions ones of worry. 

"Weiss." Cedric muttered angrily.

"Cedric." Weiss replied in a much calmer fashion. "Abandoning pleasantries now, aren't we? That's the last thing I expected out of you."

The former judge let out a mocking laugh. "And what do you know of me, usurper? What do you know of any of your subordinates save those who blindly pay you tribute to avoid incurring your wrath?"

"Watch your tongue, traitor!" Yvette shot back at Cedric. From the shadows, Naomi realized that she was the woman she had adopted the identity of when she had infiltrated the Indartian camp. "What right do you have to criticize the Judge Magister?"

"I have **every** right!" Cedric shouted. "As a man who sees a better future for his country than this descent into-"

Isaac stomped his foot and stood up from his throne. "That is _enough_!" he yelled, silencing the room to the shock of all present; including the Prince himself. He didn't know he had it in him. After a moment of silence, he sat back down. "That is enough. This is a discussion for an Indartian audience hall. I am here to listen to your suggestion, Judge Magister. Nothing more."

Even Weiss was taken aback by Isaac's showing of authority. Once things calmed down, Isaac bade him to proceed, and thus he did. "Yes, well... I would like to officially declare a peace treaty with the nation of Esteos. Relations with Ormica have worsened as of late. The last thing we need as a nation is lingering animosity from Esteos."

"What's in it for us, then?" Silas asked aloud.

Weiss turned an eye to the swordsman. "Much of the same. Esteos is, as is, a newly rebuilt nation that will take time to grow. It has allies in the west that will protect it while it does so, but open aggression from my nation will hinder things. I stand by what we did here, but I'm no fool. I trust you will see the benefit in this."

Isaac scratched his chin. "What you say makes sense, Judge Magister. I can't say I do not question your motives, but I understand your proposal."

"And?" Weiss asked, crossing his arms. It clearly hurt his pride to back out on his invasion. "What is your answer?"

Cedric turned to Isaac, speaking plainly as before to make his voice heard. "Lord Isaac, you don't intend to trust this upstart, do you?"

"You make your feelings abundantly clear behind the prince's protection, don't you?" Yvette called out. "Yet I heard no such sentiments when you were amongst the court."

"Were it only so that I could speak freely in Indartis and not fear for the safety of my own life and those of my daughters." Cedric hissed back. "Prince Isaac, once again I implore you. Do not trust him!"

Thus the first of many decisions was thrust upon the soon-to-be-King. Yet he knew just how he would respond. The events of the past months had shaped his will and his resolve, and hardened his belief in compassion and the well-being of his citizens.

"Judge Magister Weiss..." Isaac said, standing from his throne. "Esteos accepts your offer. We will agree to a ceasefire and a peace treaty. I have earned my people their home; now I must ensure they may live within my domain without fear of war in the coming years. It is what I owe them in light of their unwavering support."

The throne room, after a few moments, broke into applause at Isaac's decision. Cedric sighed and stepped back, leaning against a wall. Smiling, the Prince sat back down. "Judge Magister, I trust you have a preliminary document prepared."

"Indeed we do." Weiss answered with a nod. "This wasn't the only reason for our visit, however."

Isaac lifted an eyebrow. "Pray tell, what else is there?"

"This... 'Maelstrom', you call it? It is an unnatural occurrence that concerns us all. As it is within your 'backyard', as it were, I can assume you have made some effort in identifying the source of the problem." Weiss proposed.

Kasumi stepped forward this time. "Made as much as possible. Cannot divulge." she stated, sending a sideways glance at Isaac. The Prince understood; with the involvement of Naga, and with the somewhat personal nature of the issue, it made sense not to involve others. Especially those who the Esteans had recently warred with.

With a glare, Weiss begrudgingly nodded. "Very well. Prince Isaac, I will have my scribes set to deliver the preliminary treaty in due time. We shall hold an official signing when the moment comes."

"Very well." Isaac agreed. "Men, escort the Judge Magister and his party to the city gates. Respectfully, if you please."

* * *

Isaac's entourage stopped for a moment to rest on the road to Ormica, and Cael found himself chatting with the younger Harcrow sister.

"Your father cares deeply for Indartis, doesn't he?" Cael asked, intrigued by the aging statesman's defiance of his former lord. It had shaken much of his lofty ideals about the life of nobles.

Eve nodded in return. "More than anyone, I think. It's admirable, but... Sometimes I wish we could just stay here."

Cael tilted his head. "You like it here?"

"It's different here. I don't have to spend a whole minute reciting my name and listening to someone else's just for introductions. That and the court intrigue isn't so... deadly. Then again, there isn't really an established government yet. So... that remains to be seen."

The archer laughed. "With Isaac in charge, there won't be much in the ways of deadly court intrigue. He wouldn't allow it."

"He really is quite kind. Another refreshing change." Eve admitted. "I doubt my sister agrees. She'd love nothing more than for things to go back to normal."

Cael blinked. "I take it that things won't be 'going back to normal' anytime soon."

"Possibly never." Eve conceded with a sigh.

"Well. You've got a place here. All three of you have proven yourselves."

The Dark Flier blushed, then smiled. "Well. We do try our best. My sister and my father, as angry as they make me from time to time, are all I've got left. I fight for them."

"And the rest of us are here for the three of you. You've earned the right to be called friends."

Eve nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Cael. That means more than you know."

* * *

At last, the Prince and his entourage arrived in the city of Dalentar, seat of the ruling body of Ormica. Ned, a native Ormican and former resident of Dalentar's sister city Valantar, knew his way around and guided the party to the palace in place of Ilia, who refused to speak to her captors further.

The audience chamber was lavish, as was expected of a mercantile nation's capital. Several smaller thrones flanked a large throne, where an aged woman sat alone. The other chairs were empty.

Nah gasped as she entered. "I've been to a few palaces in my time, but... This is just so ornate!"

"If you would, I would like my fellow chancellor to take her place at my side." said the old woman, who Isaac knew to be Grand Chancellor Odysseia. Isaac nodded to the others, having them release Ilia from her bonds.

Ilia strode forward and took a seat to the left of Odysseia, who spoke again. "Prince Esteos. What brings you to my palace this day?"

Isaac, with one hand on the pommel of Curtana, glared at Odysseia. For all he knew, this was the woman who orchestrated the sinking of Estralis and the alliance with the Abyssnians. He fully expected an ambush, as did his officers. "Chancellor, let's not beat around the bush, shall we? You have a hand in what has happened to my homeland. We want answers."

Odysseia grinned softly, leaning back in her chair slowly. "Young man, you have an awful lot of nerve approaching an old woman in her home and demanding answers. Didn't your parents ever teach you manners?"

Isaac snapped and drew his sword, shocking the others around him and prompting the chancellor's guards to draw their blades as well. The rest of Isaac's entourage drew their own weapons, circling up to protect the Prince.

"I am _not_ here to play games, Odysseia!" Isaac yelled furiously, having lost his patience. "Answer me! What is this Maelstrom? What are you doing working with the Abyssnians?"

The chancellor laughed softly as she slowly stood up, taking hold of a walking cane. Ilia looked up worriedly. "O-Odysseia...?"

Odysseia looked to Isaac. "If you are looking for the person who sank your beloved city, you should look in the sunken city itself. I imagine they've been in and out of the city preparing the ritual for some time now."

Isaac gritted his teeth. "What?"

"In and out of the Maelstrom?" Daud asked, holding Reginleif threateningly at the Ormican guards. "There's no possible way to-"

"You're not the only one in possession of an artifact touched by the dragons, young man." Odysseia continued. "It is shame you won't find out..."

Isaac held his sword readily.

"Kill them, but keep the prince and the tactician alive." Odysseia ordered. "And the dragon child as well."

Odysseia began to walk off, and Ilia stood up from her chair. "W-wait! Odysseia, why are we-"

The sound of crossbows being loaded rang throughout the hall, followed closely by the sound of them being launched.

In a flash of light, Nah assumed her dragon form and fanned her wings outward, deflecting a majority of the crossbow bolts.

"Odysseia! Get back here!" Isaac yelled as he parried a thrust from one of the advancing guards. Nah inhaled and breathed a stream of fire at the upper level of the chamber, incinerating the archers on the level before reverting back to her human form. Over time it seemed that she had difficulty maintaining her form for long periods or for stressful tasks. 

Naomi ducked under a swipe and raised her sword to retaliate, but found the guard she was about to strike already stabbed by another weapon; Ilia had pilfered a lance from one of the fallen guards and joined the fight.

"What are you doing?" Naomi asked aloud.

"Something incredibly stupid!" Ilia answered, spinning the lance and slashing another nearby guard. "Get out of here! Odysseia's people will tail you the entire way! I can try to buy you some time!"

Isaac cursed his predicament and nodded. "Fall back! We need to get out of the city!"

* * *

 

Odysseia stepped through the halls to her private quarters, quietly laughing to herself. It had all gone perfectly, the Prince had practically delivered himself _and_ the other two to her front door. It would only be a matter of time before...

As she stepped into her chambers, she heard a creak and turned about. There stood a figure dressed in black, with blades attached to the arms of his armor.

"And just who are you?" Odysseia asked frightfully, trying to find something to defend herself with.

Ned drew his sword and stepped forward slowly. "The last thing you ever see." he answered, swooping forward and driving his blade into the aged woman's side. Odysseia gasped and gurgled for a moment, then fell to the ground, silent.

"Now we're even, Isaac." Ned muttered as he made his dash out of the room.

* * *

Isaac and the others were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief when they finally escaped the city, stealing a number of horses to expedite their journey back. The Prince counted his companions, noting a missing man.

"Ned. Where is Ned?" he asked aloud. The others murmured and looked about, finding no one. Worried, Isaac shook his head. "We must go ba-"

"I'm here." called Ned, riding up on a stolen horse-drawn wagon of his own. The others could note his bloodstained blade in one of his hands.

Isaac blinked. "Where were you-"

Ned looked back, which made Isaac stop speaking. Ned waited a moment, then sheathed his sword. "Odysseia will no longer be a problem." he stated simply.

Taking a moment to let that sink in, Isaac nodded. "I... I see. Thank you, Ned. That will make things easier in the coming days."

"What do we do now?" Silas asked. "If the person we're hunting is in the Maelstrom, then..."

"Yes." Isaac agreed. "We must enter the Maelstrom ourselves."

 

 


	25. Into the Maelstrom

Ebonreach was a welcome sight for the prince, but it also brought a feeling of nostalgia and longing. For most of his campaign, the twin cities had been his base of operations, and his home. If he survived whatever was to come, it would be his home for many years to come. The overcast clouds put a damper on the sight, but even the coldness of the weather did little to still the warmth in Isaac's heart.

"...we still don't even know how we're going to get in there. It's all water, how will we do anything except drown at them?" Silas asked as they approached the gates.

"We have divine intervention on our side, hopefully." Naomi replied. "Maybe we can-"

Isaac, at the head of the group, was approached by a frantic gate-guard. "L-Lord Isaac! You must come quick!"

"What is it, son? What's going on?" Daud asked, placing a hand on the young man to still him.

With a deep breath, the soldier hung his head. "King Albium, he... he's been killed!"

* * *

Isaac practically broke down the door to his uncle's room in the castle. The king had been dead for several days, and besides moving the king's body, the scene was left undisturbed. A bloodstain was present on the wall farthest from the door, making Isaac feel quite ill.

"How... how could I have suspected him? My uncle been nothing but caring and supportive throughout this entire ordeal. And now he lies dead, and I hadn't the chance to apologize..." Isaac lamented, leaning against the wall out of grief.

Kasumi, with a more practical mind, began to inspect the room.

Silas placed a hand on Isaac's shoulder. "Hey. Hey, let's get you out of here. Come on, Kasumi and the others can handle this."

The prince, fighting the urge to tear up, nodded and exited with Silas.

Daud left the situation with him, and joined Kasumi with her search. "Have you found anything?" he asked, looking through a drawer.

"A journal. Old. Entries dating back to ten years prior." Kasumi answered.

"Flip to the end. Perhaps there's something in there to help our search." Naomi proposed. "Anything..."

Kasumi nodded and flipped through the pages. "...arrived in Ebonreach this day. Isaac is no longer the shy lad I remember. He reminds me much of his mother, with fire in her eyes when speaking of her duty to her countrymen. I still mourn the death of my sister and my brother-in-law, but they would be proud of their son. He has done well. Well enough in the span of a few months to make me think on my own rule."

"Further." Daud said.

With a nod, Kasumi went a few pages ahead. "There is a traitor among our ranks. Isaac has wracked his mind trying to find whomever it may be. It's obvious this weighs heavy on him, and I haven't the heart to tell him that this will be the first of many that he will have to deal with in his rule. Such is the way of the ruler.

"I remember now my disdain for war. In my youth, in the early years of my reign, I spent much of my time studying the art of war and the ways I could defend my people. Such time was spent that I neglected my role as a father and husband. It has been some time since my dearest wife departed, a victim of the plague that ravaged our land. Still my daughter seems distant. I knew she was close to her mother, but still I am saddened to see how despondent my wife's death has made her." she read. "Wait..."

Daud raised an eyebrow. "Keep reading..." he said, forming a guess.

Kasumi nodded again and flipped the page. "Isaac has gone off to Ormica to find out more about this Maelstrom that spins violently in the center of the country to this day. I have taken temporary control of the city in his absence. The people of this land are incredibly eager to support their prince, and there is not much for me to do. I have tried to speak to Kimata instead, to perhaps bridge the gap that had formed in the years after my dear Natalia departed this world. Still she shuts me out, yet... it seems different this time. She watches the sky often, in stark contrast to her hobby of constantly poring over old tomes.

"Whatever happened to the bright-eyed child that awoke me in the morning with a smile on her face and a flower from the castle gardens in her hands? To see her this low in spirits pains me greatly. I wish I could get through to her. I wish Natalia were here."

Once she finished reading, Kasumi closed the journal. "Final entry."

"Could it have been Kimata who killed him?" Naomi asked, shocked. "I can't imagine someone doing that to their own father..."

"Yet it's a possibility we cannot dismiss." Daud concluded, stepping to the door and opening it to issue an order to the guardsmen posted outdoors. "Find Princess Kimata!"

* * *

 

Isaac didn't take the news well. "Kimata? But..."

"She is missing, my lord. Gone without a trace. Her room was stripped clean. We suspected perhaps a spy from the Indartians, but..."

"I... I know. I know. If what you say is true, then... I just can't believe such a thing could happen." Isaac lamented. "And if she's gone, could she be the one in the Maelstrom? Could she be the one who... sunk Estralis? How?"

Daud sighed. "I suspect we will find out when enter the Maelstrom, somehow."

"Which should be possible." Nah said. "It is within my power, if I channel her through Curtana. Perhaps I can create a lingering projection, and send it with you."

Isaac nodded. "My Lady, I owe you much. More than I can express. Were it not for you, we would have been blundering in the dark, without guidance. I might have never had any leads as to what happened. I'd have never known my So... thank you."

Nah smiled warmly. "It's all I could do to help. You'll make a great king, Isaac." she said, hugging the prince. "I'm sorry for your uncle."

"But I don't think he would want you to waste time here." Silas pointed out. "It's time, Isaac. We should go in the morning."

The prince nodded. "Right. We should."

Suddenly, Ririka and the others who were assigned to protect the city came into the room. "Your majesty!" Ririka proclaimed, falling to her knees. "I... I failed you and my liege. I'm sorry."

Alora sighed. "We all failed. Kimata requested privacy, we thought nothing of it..."

"This was nothing we could have forseen." The prince replied. "Truly, my suspicions were misplaced in the first place."

Gale, who had been silent, looked to them. "What of Varos? Where was he?"

"Gone as well." Luna answered. "Which... makes one wonder if he was loyal to King Ghayle or not."

Isaac sighed. More traitors. "If Odysseia worked with the person that sunk Estralis, and... If that person was Kimata, and Varos worked for her discreetly... Then it must have been him who sold our location out to the Ormicans that night."

"The night Daud almost died." Naomi mumbled. Kasumi sighed sadly.

"It's starting to come together. And all right beneath our noses." Silas observed. "We can't let her get away with this."

Isaac stood and nodded. "We won't. I swear it."

* * *

The night closed with a feast before the departure of the Prince and his most trusted officers. It was an informal affair, mostly held in light of the grim nature of their task. They were venturing into unknown territory, likely filled with Abyssnians. It was a time to say goodbye.

"Even in times like these, I can't help but be amazed at how much you two remind me of your mother." Cedric said to Eden and Eve. "You know I still don't approve of you both coming, but... You're grown women, formidable fighters, and able to make your own decisions."

Eve laughed. "Did I hear that right? Father allowing us to follow him into certain death hundreds of feet below the sea?"

"Eve, please. He'll change his mind if you say it like that." Eden muttered.

Cedric sighed. "She's right. Which is why I ask you one thing." he said. "Make it out alive. I've lived a full life, but you've got many years ahead. You've got to carve out your own lives, whether you choose to return home or stay here."

Eve and Eden both took hold of their father's hands. "Only if you promise us something else." Eden said.

"You walk out of there with us." Eve added.

Smiling, Cedric hugged his daughters tight. "I'll try, I promise."

* * *

Novalyn returned to Ursula after a short dance routine, just a little something to pick up the spirits of those gathered.

"Still haven't lost your touch, kid." Ursula observed. "These folks still don't trust me much; can't say I blame them; but they know how to appreciate a good dance."

The dancer smiled. "Thank you, Lady Ursula. You are kind to say so." she said, bowing. "I am still... surprised you wish to go with them. If I may say so."

"Why, you think I'm afraid of a suicide mission?" Ursula asked.

"It's just... unlike you." Novalyn clarified.

Ursula scoffed. "Look. I'm good at fighting. I've got a good chance of being around something real important, here. Don't get a chance like that often. And besides, the kid prince is offering amnesty. Right up my alley."

"I suppose you're right." Novalyn replied. "This has been an enlightening experience. Thank you for taking me with you."

The bandit laughed. "You're still on life-debt, kid. Who knows, maybe you'll get a chance to repay me down there."

* * *

"I see your five coins... and raise you another five." Cael said as he pushed a few coins into a small pile in front of him.

Luna laughed and pushed another fifteen coins forward. "Cute. Raise ten."

Cael raised an eyebrow. "Fold." he said, laying down the cards in front of him.

"Fold." said Ririka, also laying down her cards.

"Good, because all I had was two of a kind." Luna teased, showing her hand and taking all the coins.

Cael frowned. "You do realize that none of that gold will mean anything if we all die in there, right?"

Luna shrugged. "What, don't you think we'll win?"

"It's not like that. It just seems silly that this is how we're spending the night before the big fight." Cael observed. "Shouldn't we be writing letters home? Drafting a will? Something like that?"

Ririka shrugged. "Most of us _have_ wrote letters already. This is just passing time. Eminent death isn't an excuse to act all mopey, I suppose."

"I'll just never understand the blind optimism." Cael mused.

"Oh, leave her alone, it's cute." Luna said, winking at Ririka. "Now, unless you're scared, let's see if you can get your coins back, hm?"

* * *

 

Ned picked at his food quietly, lost in thought. He had agreed to join the prince to get himself out of jail, figuring he could handle some skirmishes and assassinations. Yet here he was, poised to aid him in taking down a sleeping diety beneath the sea. Why was he staying? Nothing was keeping him from leaving, perhaps leaving the Duchy of Vaike to another.

As he looked to Isaac, he understood. It was a cause he could fight for; Isaac's compassion, his desire to help those in need. He wished that someone like that had been there for him he had been in need.

"Are you alright?" Alora asked as she approached. She held little love for card games and thus didn't choose to join Ririka and the others.

"Oh... yes, I'm fine. Just thinking." Ned replied.

Alora sat. "Yes, that makes two of us." she said. "Wondering what you will do if we make it out of this?"

"Yes. I've accepted the role as the Duke, I see no reason to back away from that now." Ned replied. "What about you? What will you do with your liege d- ...no longer with us?"

The pegasus knight sighed. "It's true, King Ghayle's death is a... grievous blow to us all. I suppose I can stay in Esteos, if the Prince will have me."

Ned nodded. "I think he'd be happy to." he replied, smiling.

It was the first smile of his that she had seen, and she smiled in return. "Mr. Mortimer, was that a smile?"

Ned caught himself, but kept the smile all the same. "I suppose it was." he answered. Funny, considering he circumstances.

* * *

 

"So, I guess this is it." Gale said, reading through his tomes. "We ready?"

Carn smirked. "Oh, please, don't tell me you're giving me the 'this is it' speech. Come now, we both know the odds, don't we? Let's not dwell on that. We'll be knee-deep in Abyssnians soon enough, we can worry about it then."

Gale laughed in response. "Oh, just let me have this. I wasn't quite expecting such a task ahead of us when I signed up for this."

"So? I suppose you're ready to charge in, be a hero?" Carn asked.

"Or one of the men behind the scenes of the heroes. The ones that make everything come together in the first place." Gale answered. "It's been a good ride, my friend."

Carn nodded with a smile. "A good ride indeed. And I intend to see it to the end!"

* * *

 

Nah, in a rare display of deference, bowed before her four retainers that had been there for her since the beginning.

"O-oh! Lady Voice, no no no! Why are you-" Vesper protested.

Nah smiled as she rose back up. "Oh, hush, Vesper, you sweet, sweet girl!" she giggled. "Know that I love each and every one of you dearly. You've all been the best of companions and friends. I couldn't have asked for better guardians."

"And it is our pleasure and joy to be so." Thormund proclaimed, wiping fresh beer foam from his mustache. "It is a fitting way to spend one's life, one life that you saved."

"It's our duty. You have given us so much." Landon added.

Lizeth nodded in agreement. "Should we lay down our lives in the coming day, it will be for a cause we believe in."

Nah teared up and wrapped her arms around Lizeth. "Just promise me that you'll keep all the others safe, alright? I'm going to miss all of you until you return."

"I hope we can return, my lady." Vesper mumbled. She was scared. 

Parting from Lizeth and wiping her eyes, Nah placed her arms on Vesper's shoulders. "You'd better." she said, sniffling. "Just be careful."

* * *

 

The biggest gathering was of Isaac, Naomi, Silas, Kasumi, and Daud. Those who Isaac considered his closest companions.

"...and Daud would serve as Marshal, as he does now. Having a married Marshall and Chancellor eliminates a source of court conflict, does it not?" Isaac proposed.

"I suppose it does!" Silas agreed with a laugh. "And what position awaits yours truly, the true hero of this war?"

Daud scoffed, but Isaac smiled and answered. "You'd make a fine Seneschal, Silas. That's what I think."

"Seneschal Silas. I like it." replied the swordsman. "And Naomi? Something tells me there's more in her future than just 'Court Spymaster'." he added with a wink.

Naomi merely blushed and looked away. "I don't see you with anyone, SIlas." she mumbled.

That shut Silas up.

After a round of laughter, Isaac looked at the other four. "You know... you all don't have to do this." he said.

"Yes we do." Kasumi replied firmly. "Our fight as much as yours. No time for heroics, Isaac. Need as much help as you can get."

The prince sighed. "Yes, yes, I know. I just don't want to see any of you hurt if I can help it."

Silas patted Isaac on the shoulder. "We'll do our best to get everyone out of there. It's just a sleeping fish-god. We've got a very awake dragon-god on our side. I see that as an advantage."

"Yes... yes, you're right. Let us be thankful for Naga's blessings, then. Without her and the Voice, we would have none of this." Isaac said.

"Yeah. Without Naga's help, we wouldn't be able to throw ourselves right into the jaws of death!" Silas joked. "But uh... seriously. Thanks be to Naga and all that stuff."

The table toasted to Naga and Nah, and continued their talk well into the night.

* * *

 

Before heading to bed, Isaac met with Nah in her room of the Ebonreach castle. The moon was high in the sky, visible from her window..

"Again, thank you for meeting me privately. As I said before, this is a very intimate rite..." Nah professed, as she held the sheathed Curtana in her arms. 

Isaac nodded. "Of course, my lady. It's the least I could do."

"Before I begin..." Nah said, placing Curtana aside and running over to hug Isaac tight.

The prince was taken aback. "I... L-Lady Voice?"

Nah continued to squeeze the prince tighter. "Just call me Nah, silly, you've earned it. You're my friend, and friends don't typically use titles, right?"

Isaac cleared his throat. "Er... I suppose not, L- Nah. Oh dear, that just seems horribly informal."

"Get used to it." Nah replied, backing away picking Curtana back up. "Now... I'm going have to enter a meditative state. I should be able to maintain it without the sword, I just need the sword to initiate it. So... until you return, this is goodbye."

The prince nodded, shaking Nah's hand. "I understand. Thank you, Lady Nah."

"It's just Nah, Isaac..." the manakete argued, sticking her tongue at Isaac.

"Get used to it." Isaac replied with a smile.

With a roll of her eyes, Nah drew the sword. "Naga, mother of Dragons, I beseech thee... reveal thyself, and guide your children through me." she spoke, again beginning to glow. As she floated into the air, her eyes became a blank white and emitted light embers of blue fire.

"Greetings, my child. It does my heart good to see you well." spoke Nahga.

Isaac immediately fell to his knees, finding himself glowing as before. "I am humbled, most holy."

"Is it time, then?" Nahga asked. "I am prepared to open the path to the sunken city, should you will it."

"Yes, I believe it is time." the prince agreed. "If it pleases you, I would ask that you open the way."

Nahga fell silent for a moment. Curtana began to glow intensely in her hands, though the runic letters remained dim as they had grown since Nah used the Touch of Mercy to heal Daud. "It is done. You may use the blade to open a pathway through the Maelstrom so long as Nah continues to channel my power."

"Yes, most holy." Isaac agreed. "How long is Nah able to hold this state? I do not wish to tax her more than is necessary."

"She is capable enough to hold it for several days, perhaps longer. She is prepared to make such a sacrifice of her being, my child. Honor her sacrifice." Nahga replied.

Isaac nodded. "Yes, most holy, I understand. I will be back, I swear it."

"Take your blade then, and fulfill your destiny." Nahga spoke. The sword floated downwards towards Isaac, who accepted it reverently.

"Thank you, my lady. I will make you proud." Isaac swore.

Nahga smiled, the first smile that Isaac had seen the possessed form of Nah make. "You already have, my child."

* * *

 

Isaac stood defiantly at the edge of the Maelstrom. "We have little time, so I will abstain from lengthy speeches. I wish only to speak my mind." he called out to the officers gathered in front of him. "In these past months, I have come to consider each and every one of you a friend, an irreplaceable one at that. I ask no more than what you wish to give. All I ask is that you join me, so that we may bring those who killed so many to justice!"

Those gathered raised their weapons and and cheered.

"For Duncan! For King Ghayle! For Faye!" Isaac shouted, raising his sword. "For Esteos!" he finished, as Curtana released a bright blue light that swept over the area.

The waters of the Maelstrom began crashing higher and more violently, focused in front of Isaac. Two great waves crashed into each other and parted, leaving a massive staircase of water before them. The waters to the sides of the staircase ascended, creating walls of water to guard those who would descend the stairs.

Isaac apprehensively took the first step onto the staircase of water and found it stable, stable enough to walk on. With another step, he began descending the stairway into the Abyss.

His company joined soon after, following their prince into the dark unknown.


	26. The Sunken City

The stairs led the Estean company deep into the depths of the Maelstrom until they finally hit the lake's floor. Once everyone was off of the stairs, they slowly melded back with the water above.

"I... don't understand. We're underwater, that's clear as day by the waves above us." Isaac observed. "Yet I breathe and move through air."

Carn shuddered. "There is _powerful_ magic at work here. I can only wonder..."

Daud cleared his throat. "We should remain vigilant. There is nothing we know of this place..." he said as he inspected the area around him. The castle of Estralis stood in the distance, obviously decayed and broken down. There was a sickly purple glow emitting from the tower, from where the knight knew the King and Queen's throne room to be. "...save for what it used to be."

"Let us make for the castle straight away, then." Isaac proclaimed.

A hum alerted him, as did a vibration in the hilt of Curtana. Looking down, Curtana's blue aura was pulsing. "Heed me, child of man. I can protect you and those around you from the venom of these creatures, but I cannot shield you from their blades and jaws. Tread lightly."

"Thank you, most holy." Isaac muttered, nodding with an affirmed purpose. One less thing to worry about, considering that their antidote didn't work.

As the group approached, they could hear hissing. Those who didn't have their weapons drawn did so, just in time to see figures step out from the crumbling buildings of the ruins of Estralis.

The sad figures looked like beings in the middle of becoming an Abyssnian. Larger and more muscular with a human, but still clearly human. Their jaws were slightly elongated and their skins covered by the occasional patches of scales.

"Gods... What happened to these people? Is this how they make... more of them?" Alora asked from atop her pegasus.

The creatures charged with bared claws, and met blades.

Daud rammed one with his shield and followed through with a strike with Reginleif, slaying the creature. They were thankfully not as hardy nor as strong as true Abyssnians, but were greater in number. It was their numbers that made them dangerous.

Far from the most brawny member of the group, Naomi paced around the half-Abyssnian that came at her, using her speed to her advantage. After a few ducks and weaves, she sliced into the beasts' side, hurting it. When it tried to attack again, a bolt of lightning pierced it and scorched it, killing it. Isaac smirked, shaking Curtana off and turning to face another creature.

To Carn's relief, fire still seemed to work in the air bubble that formed around Estralis. He broke out a tome he had prepared for just such a 'final battles' situation, and invoked it to unleash a storm of fireballs onto the group.

Within a few minutes, the ambush group was dead.

"Well. Now we know what they're capable of." Silas said. "We need to get to the castle fast."

"Yes, I agree. The less ambushes we run into, the better." Isaac said, leading the group further through the ruined streets.

* * *

The group did run into a number of additional ambushes on the way to the castle, but suffered no casualties as the ambushes weren't incredibly large. Dangerous, but not unmanageable with healing magic and vulneraries. 

The massive doors hung open, barely attached to their hinges.

Isaac sighed as he stared at them. "Every time I found myself returning home, I never lost my sense of wonder as I gazed upon these doors and the hall within... This was my home." he lamented.

"I know, Isaac." Naomi said gently as she patted the prince's back. "But now we have to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else's home."

The prince silently nodded. "Yes... Yes, I know. I just ask that we visit my old room and... and my parent's room first."

"So long as it is quick." Kasumi reasoned. "We have much to do, Isaac."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you."

* * *

 

Isaac found little of note in his room, save for a few signet rings and journals that he hadn't packed during his visit to Albium. However, his parent's room held a more gruesome sight; their bodies.

"I... had to see it for myself." Isaac said, unable to even step foot into their room. "Please, let's be rid of this place and make for the throne room."

Daud nodded. "As you wish, my lord."

As the rest of the group exited the area, Naomi held behind for a moment and grabbed a folded letter she had spied, resting on the King and Queen's vanity. In Isaac's grief he hadn't seen it, and she was glad she had.

As they climbed the stairs to the throne room, they heard hisses.

"Dammit, they followed us up here." Ned alerted the others. "What should we do?"

A loud sound emanated from behind the throne room's doors, akin to the discharging of electricity. Isaac looked to the dark below the stairs, and gritted his teeth. "Dammit!" he shouted, then looking to the doors. "We'll leave a team here to guard the doors while I and a few others enter the throne room an confront whatever's inside. Cedric, Thormund, I leave you both in charge of this team. All of you..." he continued, pointing out Kasumi, Naomi, Silas, Daud, Carn, Gale, and Ned. "Come with me. It's time we ended this."

"Right. We won't let you down." Thormund agreed, bringing his trusty hammer to bear.

"Give them hell, Prince Esteos." Cedric affirmed.

With a nod, Isaac turned and threw open the doors to the throne room. What he saw shocked him.

First, the swirling, black portal framed with purple that swirled in the center of the room, the source of the sound earlier. Purple bolts of lightning shot out in random intervals, making Isaac even more alarmed. However, the true source of shock was the person who sat in the throne.

"My dearest cousin Isaac..." spoke Kimata, lounging lazily in the throne that once belonged to King Steiner, Isaac's father. Varos stood next to her, his blade already drawn. "How wonderful that you've decided to come and join me."


	27. Call of the Abyss

"Kimata." Isaac muttered. "I didn't want to believe it, but..."

Kimata smirked from her perch. "Yes, I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it all out. You were always bright, Isaac, if not naive."

"This is no time for jokes, Kimata!" Isaac shouted as he pointed Curtana at her accusingly. "You sunk Estralis! You've killed tens of thousands of people! What do you have to say for yourself? Why, Kimata?"

Varos began to step forward, but Kimata stopped him. "No, no, hold on. He's come this far, he deserves the villainous exposition. And I do suppose I'm the villain, here. Visionaries are oft labeled as such when their goals are misunderstood by the greater whole."

"I'm listening." Isaac replied.

"First of all, privacy." Kimata said, raising a spiked staff she held in her hand that glowed with a sickly purple glow, much like that which sprouted from the portal in front of her. The doors behind Isaac's party closed with a loud thud. "I believe I should start off with the most basic of reasons. I hate humanity, I truly do." she continued, pacing the area in front of the throne. "Isaac, I trust you remember meeting my mother from time to time?"

"It was some years ago, but yes, I remember. She was a kind, loving woman." Isaac answered. "Why? What does she have to do with anything?"

Kimata angrily threw the contents of her left hand, a wine glass, to the ground, shattering it. "She has everything to do with this!" she cried out, practically seething. Looking closer, Isaac saw that his cousin had the face of a woman gone mad. Her eyes were wide, her teeth were gritted, and her once lovingly-looked-after hair was frayed. After a moment, Kimata composed herself. "You remember correctly. She was a remarkable woman. The likes of which the world is far worse off without. She was... the only person I felt close to, the only one I truly loved."

Isaac fell silent.

"My mother had quite the interest in ancient tomes, long-lost knowledge, mysterious arcane secrets. When I grew of age, she shared this interest with me. She lacked any desire for applying any of this, she just... wished to learn. And so did I, at first..." Kimata continued. "Then the plague hit, and took my mother from me. She caught it from commoners who stormed our castle's doors and demanded that something be done. They had the _audacity_ to beg reprieve for a god-give plague from human rulers. My mother spoke to them, bade them to leave, calmed them down... She died within the month. And my world collapsed."

"And so you killed thousands of others because you were _lonely_!?" Silas shouted angrily.

Kimata raised her free hand and launched a bolt of purple lightning at Silas, striking him in the chest and knocking him back against the wall.

"Silas!" Isaac shouted, running to his friend and helping him up. Silas groaned as he stood, helped with a brief flash of light from Naomi's healing staff.

"I. Was. Not. Finished." Kimata spewed. "You will kindly retain your dogs while I explain myself, Isaac, so that they may hear the words of the prophetess before they meet incredibly painful deaths."

Isaac said nothing, but glared at his cousin angrily.

"My mother's death was the sign I needed that the world was beyond saving. Humanity is an accursed race. We do naught but war with each other, and cooperate only when it suits us. It is _sickening_. Thus, I retreated to my mother's private libraries, and began to read. Read of that which came before us. The... what have you come to call them? The Abyssnians? A childish title, but it will do; 'The Children of the Leviathan' defeats the need for brevity, I suppose. The Abyssnians were a group of men who rejected Naga, and turned to the Leviathan, a god of the seas, to grant them power to evolve humanity. However, they were defeated by the manaketes, taking the great Leviathan with them."

The sounds of combat began to ring out from behind the door, making Isaac and the others anxious, but they allowed Kimata to continue.

"Hundreds of years passed and some man or woman much like me found the lore of the Abyssnians. They brought the Leviathan back, and again they were defeated... This time by your upstart of an ancestor, Romulus. And now, here I am.  I have heeded the Call of the Abyss, and I am now on the brink of bringing back the Leviathan. All I need is one more piece, Isaac. All I need... is you."

Isaac was taken aback. "Me? What?"

"You, the tactician, or the manakete whom I assume you left behind. All of you Touched by Naga. It is a vital component to the ritual, you see. The Leviathan needs a host body to grow from, and this body must carry some sort of divine essence. There is no record of those Touched by the Leviathan; those who were, are long dead. But those Touched by Naga... we knew of you, the tactician, and the Voice. Any of the three of you would make fine candidates. And so you delivered yourself to me. You were a second choice, truly, but when the Arcymians stole the Voice from Ormican captivity, followed by you stealing her from _them_ , we had to settle. I knew you would keep the Voice closely guarded, but would be too vengeful to resist coming here yourself."

"So you _were_ working with Odysseia." Daud deduced.

Kimata nodded with a smile. "Yes, very smart, sir. She's a bit of a misanthrope herself, you know. A mother who outlives five children lost to the war twenty years prior, how could she not be? She took a bit of convincing, but she agreed to help me and sent troops into Esteos. Deployed the few fully-formed 'Abyssnians' that were awake, the likes of which will swarm the surface world when the Leviathan awakes. You've eluded a few of them... Icthyus, Ortrius, perhaps Malthius as well. But no matter. There are many that will prowl the earth once they awake."

"You forget one thing, Kimata." Isaac shot back, stepping forward. "I have no intention of going through with this plan."

"Oh, sweet, sweet Isaac. Whoever said anything about you cooperating?" she asked, cackling as she rose into the air from her throne. She shed the heavy cloak she wore, revealing her her arms; they were scaled, much like an Abyssnian's scales. She was in the process of turning.

Isaac immediately sprung into action. "Carn, Gale, with me!" he shouted, launching bolts of lightning at Kimata through his blade. Kasumi and Ned joined him with their bows, trying to cover all the air space they could.

Kimata danced through the air gracefully, avoiding most of the blasts and arrows and deflecting those she couldn't with her bare hands. Intense magic was running through her, making her a formidable foe.

Varos approached those not focused on Kimata; Silas, Daud, and Naomi; as he drew a second blade identical to his first. Daud stood in front of the other two, intending to question Varos in a duel. He had respected the swordmaster enough to owe him that, at least. Naomi and Silas understood, and moved forward to try and distract Kimata with their movements.

"What sense is there in this course, Varos?" Daud asked, swinging Reginleif readily to keep the swordsman at bay. "I knew you to be an honorable man!"

"You knew a facade, Daud, though I must admit that I take no pleasure in cutting you down. You remind me of myself, in my younger days, before my faith in the world was shattered by the horrors of the world, the horrors of man. Take comfort in knowing that you won't live to experience such things." Varos answered, leaning back to avoid the swipes.

Daud thrust forth angrily, his thrust parried by Varos' left blade. "You could have aided us! All of us have lost something in this war, yet we carry on!"

"What did you lose, Daud?" Varos shouted back angrily, stepping forward and attempting a slash. Daud blocked with his shield and backed away slowly, sizing up his opponent for openings. "Your new wife stands alive besides you, your family remains safe in their homes. What have you lost? Your lord before Isaac? Bah! I ran King Ghayle through, the man I had sworn my life to! I have lost too much to allow such frail oaths to cloud my judgment. Kimata's path is the true one. Mankind has no place here any longer."

Again Daud thrust forward, hoping to change his movements up after a few repeated movements to trip Varos up. "Your judgment _is_ clouded, Varos! Clouded by your grief! You cannot let the wounds of the past fester!"

Varos roared angrily and parried Reginleif, closing in and cutting with his free blade. The strike drew blood on Daud's shield arm, but Daud pressed on and rammed his shield into Varos' chest. The swordmaster grunted and backed away. "They have done their festering, Daud. Were I a man of soft heart and younger years, perhaps I could have been swayed. But it is too late for me. Say not another word, and let us finish our business as men of war."

"So be it." Daud answered, swinging downward with Reginleif. Varos easily sidestepped the attack and swung at Daud's shield arm again. Daud turned and brought his shield up to block, and Varos swung with his other blade. His strike clanged against Daud's shoulder-pad harmlessly, and Daud made him pay for his mistake. Again he rammed his shield against the aging swordmaster.

Varos stumbled back and tried to regain his footing, but found himself with Reginleif firmly planted in his chest. Gasping, Varos dropped both of his swords and clutching the shaft of the lance implanted in his chest. "I..."

"Find peace, Varos." Daud muttered, pulling his lance back and letting Varos fall to the ground.

Still gasping as he bled out, Varos raised his hand to Daud. "There is... another..." he mumbled as he struggled to live. Daud turned to him, but it was too late to inquire any further; the swordmaster breathed his last and fell silent.

Kimata continued to dodge and weave around the magic attacks and arrows thrown at her, much to the annoyance of her attackers. She finally attacked, sending a blast of purple fire down at Ned. The assassin leapt back to avoid the attack, nearly falling back into the portal. Another blast of fire rained down, this time at Naomi, who didn't dodge quite as readily and was blown away with a singed cloak.

"Getting tired yet?" Kimata taunted as she spun about, raining more fireballs indiscriminately across the field. Naomi found yet another coming at her, but it didn't hit her; Car leapt in front of her and conjured a blast of purple energy of his own, trying to push back the fireball.

"Get... back! Run!" Carn shouted, struggling with the energy from Kimata's spell. Defiantly yelling, he poured all of his energy into pushing the fireball back with his torrent of dark magic. The result was a massive explosion that temporarily blinded those present and blew those nearby a few feet away. This time Gale was flung back into the portal, but he was thrown away from it by a tendril of purple electricity, as if he was being rejected.

When the Dark Knight got back to his feet, he looked to see Carn lying on the floor of the throne room. He had died with a smile on his face.

Kimata was left vulnerable by the blinding blast, so Isaac poured all of his will into his next lightning bolt and sent it forward. The bolt rocketed forth and struck Kimata in the stomach, piercing cleanly through and knocking her to the floor.

Isaac hurried over and kicked away Kimata's sceptre, then placed the flat tip of Curtana at her throat. Silas and Naomi hurried over and held down her arms, should she try anything.

Kimata merely laughed again. "Well... looks like you've got some fight in you after all... But I know you, Isaac... you won't let your people be hurt by what's to come."

"What do you mean, Kimata? We've stopped you." Isaac protested, pressing the tip to Kimata's neck to draw blood.

Laughing, Kimata elaborated. "The portal... it is a swirling torrent of souls lost in the sinking of Estralis, and those who died in the war following. Your parents, my father, even the poor dark mage you lead to his death on this day. Without the Leviathan to consume its' energy, it will grow, fester, and slowly corrupt the world over the years. Famine, plague... the world will be sucked of life as the portal demands more energy. And with each death, it will grow, until at last another lost soul finds it and continues my work. It may not be as immediate... I may not be there to see it... but it _will_ happen, Isaac. The world will die, one way or another. Either you bring the Leviathan into being now... or you allow the world to be stripped of life slowly. Either way... it'll be your doing."

Isaac shouted out of anger and turned away, taking Curtana away from Kimata's neck.

Kasumi stepped forward. "Isaac. I will do it." she offered.

"Like hell you will!" Isaac shouted in response. "Kasumi, I want nothing more than to serve my people. I want to be king... a good king. And doing this... it's the best king I can be."

"You can be a good king by being their lord! Isaac, you musn't!" Kasumi cried out, tears forming in her eyes. She spoke in complete sentences out of desperation. "This is what you have fought for! We don't even know if she is lying!"

Isaac pointed to the portal. "You can feel the sickness in your gut just looking at this thing, Kasumi. I know you can. It's something only _we_ can feel, I just know it."

"He's... he's right." Silas said. "I look at the thing... I know it's awful, but... I don't _feel_ anything."

Daud paused. Then what was the pinching feeling in his chest? He ran a hand across his breastplate, across where he had been stabbed by Curtana...

Then he understood.

Naomi watched in shock from the sidelines near Kimata, who merely continued lying down as she reveled in her ultimatum. Gale stood by as well, still in shock over the death of his friend. Daud approached and silently turned Reginleif horizontally, placing it in Gale's hands.

"D-Daud? What are you doing?" Naomi asked.

"What I must."

Isaac continued to fight and plead his case. "I cannot see another friend fall to this, Kasumi. This is my final order."

"Then allow me to commit my first and last act of treason." Kasumi spat back. "The people need you, Isaac, they-"

Isaac and Kasumi caught Daud staring into the portal, empty-handed. "Daud... what are you doing?" Isaac asked.

"My job." Daud answered, turning to them. "My lord, the world needs a ruler as compassionate as you. Yet I cannot stand idly by and watch my beloved plunge herself into the darkness in sacrifice. That is not her place. It is the place of a knight."

"Daud, what are you saying? The portal only accepts those Touched by N-" Isaac protested, before realizing what Daud had already understood. "No... no, no, no, not you too, Daud. Please, I beg you..."

Kasumi stared at her husband, wide-eyed in shock. "What? You're..."

"The Touch of Mercy, Kasumi." Daud answered. "It gave me my life back. It gave me time. And now... I want to give it in a manner I find fitting."

"You musn't... please..." Kasumi pleaded, out of words. She hugged Daud tightly, sobbing. 

Daud lifted her head softly by the chin and kissed her, one last time. "Yes, I must." he stated. He pushed Kasumi gently away and stepped back. "When a man becomes a knight, a _true_ knight, he does it to pledge his life to his lord and country. He is ready to make the greatest of sacrifices in the name of his lord, the man he believes in. I believe in you, Isaac. And this is the sacrifice I choose to make. As a knight, I see no better way to serve."

The knight took yet another step back, and those gathered gasped and reached forward. "Just... make it quick. The beast will be formidable, I am sure, but... I know you can do it. You've proven to me that you have it within you to do anything. And Kasumi..." he continued, keeping a smile on his face. "I love you. I pity we had so little time together. I looked forward to celebrating anniversaries, raising young ones... I hope you can forgive me."

Daud took one last breath. "For Esteos." he muttered, holding his breath and falling backwards into the portal.

Unlike Gale who was tossed away previously, Daud melded with the portal and sunk within until he disappeared. The swirling torrent stopped and was still, until the darkness within erupted like a geyser of black, ink-like liquid. The eruption died down as a large, black claw clung to the edge of the portal; slowly, a massive creature resembling a pitch-black Abyssnian from the waist up emerged from the portal. From the beast's chest hung a figure with Daud's face, as if crucified onto the beast's skin.

The Leviathan roared loudly, breaking the windows of the throne room and throwing the doors wide open. The scene outside the door was visible for the first time since the fight had began; the Esteans had been putting up a fine fight, and the floor was littered with the corpses of Abyssnians both fully formed and only halfway turned. Unfortunately, Lizeth's body also laid upon the floor.

Vesper shrieked as she laid eyes upon the beast. "Landon, Thormund, look!" she shouted over the din of combat. Of course, Landon was blind and couldn't see, but the sentiment wasn't lost on him.

Thormund gasped. "Dammit! Landon, Cael, get in there! Cedric, you and your daughters too! We'll keep holding the line here! Go, go!"

Cedric nodded and flew his wyvern into the throne room, followed by Eve upon her black pegasus and Eden on her gryphon. The trio flew about the beast's head and struck at it, trying to provoke it.

In response, the Leviathan reached out and shot a torrent of the black liquid that composed its' body at Eden, knocking her and her mount against the wall. They slid down, and it was unclear if rider or mount lived.

Isaac looked at those with him. "Attack, quickly!" he shouted as he launched bolts of lightning at the beast. The spellcasters present, joined by Landon, aided the prince in his bombardment. The beast apparently took offense and swiveled about in the portal, bending over and snatching up Landon in its' black jaws. Landon's screams were muffled by the sounds of crunching and swirling liquid.

"No!!" Isaac protested, circling the beast and trying to shoot more bolts to distract it. His magic bounced off the black liquid body of the Leviathan, and Isaac surmised that only physical attacks could harm it.

The beast eyed Isaac and swung a claw down at him. Isaac leapt out of the way and swung down on the claw once he regained his footing. The blue aura surrounding Curtana glowed intensely when the blow was made, causing the beast a great amount of pain. The Leviathan screeched and pulled the claw back, swinging its other claw at the other side of the room.

Silas leapt out of the way this time and was unable to strike again, unable to regain his footing in time. Still, they seemed to be able to avoid the attacks, for now.

* * *

 

Kimata watched the spectacle from a corner of the throne room, leaning against a pillar with a smile. She held a hand to her stomach, which had been cauterized by the lightning bolt, but she knew her organs had been damaged. She had lived, however, long enough to see her plans come to fruition. The Leviathan was everything she had hoped for, and more.

Her joy was cut short, however, by a blade in her back. Looking back, she saw only blue hair and a vengeful look on her soon-to-be killer's face.

Naomi yanked Reginleif out of Kimata's chest and kicked her over. " _That_..." she muttered, "was for Daud."

Kimata bled out with a grin on her face and her eyes wide open.

* * *

The Abyssnians, strengthened by the awakening of their deity, continued coming in greater numbers.

"Damn, these things just won't give up, will they?" Ursula complained as she lopped off the head of another creature.

"Just keep fighting! The prince needs our aid now more than ever!" Thormund ordered. "Just-"

His orders were interrupted by the tip of a trident, getting him in the gut. Thormund roared and swung his hammer at his attacker anyway, crushing its' skull and letting him tug the trident out. With a grunt, he threw it at another approaching beast and skewered it through the eyes. Another trident pierced him in the side, and another was thrown and hit him in the chest, tearing through his beaten armor.

Thormund, with a defiant roar, swung to his right and took out the Abyssnian who stabbed him in the side, and then threw his hammer into the distance to kill the one that had tossed the trident before the mighty warrior fell to his knees. Too weakened to keep fighting, Thormund collapsed, watching his comrades fight on in his last moments.

* * *

Once he had assured Eden's well being, Cedric divebombed the Leviathan from atop his wyvern, crashing into the water-god and tumbling off of his mount. The Leviathan lurched forward, close enough for Gale to draw his blade and slash the beast across the face. "That was for Carn!" he shouted as the Leviathan reeled back.

The Leviathan roared in frustration and swung his hand to the side, knocking Eve and Vesper aside, and then turned to its' other side. There awaited Ned, who nocked five arrows in his bow and loosed them all, striking the Leviathan in both eyes and in several other places on its' face.

Having had enough, the Leviathan roared and unleashed a wave of purple energy, knocking all of the combatants off of their feet. Kasumi was the first to rise, drawing the beast's attention. It roared and swung its' claw at her, but stopped just short of smashing her into the floor.

"W-what?" she asked aloud. She was confused and frightened alike, but shook it off step away. "Daud?"

The beast fell silent, though its' quivering movements showed it was struggling against itself. The form of Daud on the creature's chest appeared to be straining, trying to fight back.

Isaac knew that it was his best chance. "Eve! This way!" he yelled as the pegasus knight made a pass. She swooped him up into the air, allowing him to drop onto the creature's head with Curtana pointed downward. " _Naga, guide my blade!_ "

The blade struck true and the room erupted into blue light as the form of the Leviathan exploded. Isaac was thrown off to the side of the room, recovering in time to watch the spectacle with Curtana in hand.

The black portal was now one of white, expelling the ghostly forms of those that had died in the course of the conflict. They floated upwards and out of the castle, off to whatever afterlife awaited them. A few, however, stayed behind for a moment.

Isaac instantly recognized the forms of Faye, Daud, and Duncan. The forms of Carn, Lizeth, Thormund and Landon stood not far behind them, joined by the form of a girl Isaac did not recognize.

"I... Faye, is that...?"

"For a moment, yes." spoke the ghost of Faye. "Isaac, I am so proud of you... being trapped within that hell-hole was maddening. I sought release, and yet... none, until you came through. There were so many others, and now they are free. Isaac... you've saved our world. You and those with you."

The form of Duncan nodded. "We go now to join Naga... thanks to you. I pity what happened to the king... but I gave my life in service to a good cause, as did he."

"As did I." said the form of Daud. "I... knew you could do it, my lord. Take care of Kasumi for me... Take care of them all. You will make a great king. One I would be proud to serve. One I am proud to have served."

Vesper spoke to the forms of her friends off to the side. "I'm sorry... I couldn't..."

"It was a good battle." spoke Thormund's ghost. "Don't pity me, lass. There is no finer a place to die than the battlefield."

"But..." Vesper sobbed, looking at them. "I... can't take care of the Lady Voice by myself!"

Lizeth's apparition shook her head. "Vesper, dearest... We trust in you."

"We always have." spoke the unknown girl, the one Vesper knew as Farrah, her best friend. "Perhaps it's time that she make a more public appearance anyway... She has a strong foundation to do so, after all. She has the greatest of aides."

"And we will continue to watch over you, wherever we may go." Landon said. "Farewell, Vesper."

The four of them departed to the sky, leaving a crying, yet smiling, Vesper. Silas went over to wrap an arm around her.

"Daud..." Kasumi mumbled to the ghost of her recent husband. "I'm..."

"I know." Daud interrupted. "I think I knew this entire time. Take care of him... Or, her, of course. Tell them what their father gave his life for. Make them proud."

Openly crying, Kasumi nodded. "I.. I will. They will be, my love. Their father is... a hero, after all."

"Be well, my beloved, and I will rest easy." Daud bade his now-widow. "I am at peace. And I will always be with you." he finished before vanishing into the sky with the others.

As the others said their goodbyes to the apparitions that stayed behind, the circle grew smaller and smaller as the last of the souls departed. Soon enough, only three were left.

"Mother... Father... Uncle Ghayle..." Isaac spoke softly.

The ghost of King Steiner let out a laugh. "Well, isn't this a sight. My boy, the same boy that cried when he sprained his ankle... has saved our souls. My son, I am so proud. More than you could know."

"We all are." spoke Queen Valentia's form. "Esteos deserves a ruler as noble and as compassionate as you. Seeing you here has given me peace in knowing we brought you up right... but I don't want to take the credit. This is your victory, love. You made it this far. Never doubt yourself. This is only the first of the many great things you will do."

"Isaac..." spoke King Ghayle. "I want Albium to pass to capable hands. I want it passed to you."

The prince blinked. "Wh-what?"

"You are, technically, the only living person with a strong claim to the throne. My advisors will stand by you should you impress them... I wager you already have. I believe in you, Isaac. As do we all."

Isaac nodded as he wiped his eyes. "I'll miss you all." he said. "And I will make you proud."

"We already are, Isaac." King Steiner said with a smile. "We always were."

The last three apparitions vanished, and the throne room grew silent. The bodies of the dead still laid about, and the Abyssnians that hadn't been slain laid upon the floor, asleep now that their master had been vanquished for the time being.

Having caught her breath, Naomi handed Reginleif to Kasumi gingerly, and then looked to Isaac. "What... do we do now?"

Isaac looked out of the broken windows, out to the water that stood still above them. The Maelstrom had grown still.

"We take our time to mourn. And then... we rebuild. Just as we had planned." the prince dictated. "Many died on this day to secure us our future. Let us grasp the future, and make it a good one."


	28. Epilogues

In the following months after the defeat of Kimata and the Leviathan, the continent of Castradea faced a tense period of uncertainty. Two leaders, Odysseia of Ormica and Ghayle of Albium, died within the short span of a few days, and Grand Archmagus Oldenhaller soon passed away of old age a few months after. This brought about great change and reform to many of the countries upon Castradea, which impacted them for years to come...

**Esteos**

Esteos grew in size after the collapse of Albium and the crowning of King Isaac. Since King Isaac was the last living member of the Albium royal family, he assumed the crown by birthright. Esteos, in its' new form, had been built upon three nations; that of the sons of Romulus, and that of Albium. King Isaac thus proclaimed manifest destiny over the northern reaches of Castradea, promising a land of high ideals and hopes unlike any seen before.

Esteos gives way to the Empire of Archadia, with Isaac as the first Archadian Emperor. The change was brought about unexpectedly gently, and soon the newly formed Empire saw immigrants from the other three nations at a regular basis. The cities of the Archadian Empire, with their infrastructure restored, became bustling centers of diversity, if not slight hostility from the mashing of cultures. The Twin cities of Ebonreach and Bellhall welcomed the coronation of their new Emperor, and merged into one city: New Estralis, the capital of the Archadian Empire.

The Maelstrom would eventually cease swirling violently and remain still as a lake, and was thus renamed Lake Estralis. The ruins of the sunken city remain, now truly submerged.

**Indartis**

Cedric eventually returned to his country to stage a rebellion against the Krytocracy. Though it failed, Weiss' regime would crumble soon afterwards. Multiple rebellions sprung up, sending Indartis into a multi-sided civil war that lasted over 75 years, known as the 'War of the Wyvern' in reference to the man who ignited the sparks of civil war. The war brought to light several new heroes and leaders of legend, each fighting for their ideal of a new, better Indartis.

**Ormica**

Ilia, who had survived her battle with the Grand Chancellor's guards, took over as Grand Chancellor after Odysseia's mysterious assassination. A healthy trade relationship with Archadia ensued while Indartis collapsed upon itself. The nation remains strong, and few know of the Ormican involvement with Kimata's ritual.

**Arcymis**

Having invested little in the Estean campaign, Arcymis changed very little after the formation of the Archadian Empire. Having reigned from his forties into his mid-hundreds, Oldenhaller eventually passed, and was succeeded by his long-time pupil, Claudius. Claudius was militant in his belief of magical superiority, and non-mages remain second-class citizens in Arcymis.

**The Church of Naga**

The many supposed miracles brought forth during the Estean campaign by Nah and Naga herself, and the people saw fit to bring forth to Emperor Isaac the proposition of the formation of a church. Isaac supported the idea, but stood fast on the separation of Church & State and refused to adopt it as a the official state religion. The Church was established in the Northern reaches of Archadia, in the city of Faithcrest, which became a pilgrimage site for the faithful. At the urging of Nah, the Church granted sainthood to several figures of the Estean Campaign, including Duncan, Faye, Daud, Lizeth, Landon, and Thormund.

** ** Silas ("Blade of the Emperor") and Vesper ("The Crimson Melody")

Silas' womanizing career ended largely in part to Vesper's insistence, and the two were married shortly after the campaign. Silas took Daud's (and thus by proxy, Faye's) place as Isaac's chief military advisor, officially serving as High Commander and Chancellor of the Archadian Empire, in addition to having authority over the Leviathan initiative; a task force personally appointed by Emperor Isaac to hunt down any traces of Abyssnian lore to be destroyed, that such things never threaten the world again. The struggles over Esteos only served to push he and Isaac closer together as close friends and blood brothers.

At the urging of his wife, Silas took up the violin and became quite proficient. Vesper was released from service by Nah, and thus moved on to pursue an actual career with the flute. She would sit as the principal flutist of the Newly formed Royal Archadian Orchestra, and eventually served as director. The couple had three boys, named Aidan, Darius, and Gabriel. All of them had picked up an instrument before there were teenagers.

** ** **Cedric ("Death Knell of a Dying Land")**

Cedric bade his daughters farewell and decided to return to his homeland, acting not as a wanted war criminal, but as a rebel against Weiss' regime. His rebellion ended in failure and he was publicly executed, but his act of rebellion sparked many others. Within the next few years, all of Indartis erupted into civil war.

**Ririka ("Dragon's Herald") and Luna ("Hero of the East")**

Ririka and Luna married 5 years after the campaign in Esteos with Nah's blessing. They adopted no children, instead choosing to live by themselves. Ririka retired from the knight's life and dedicated herself to overseeing the Empire's festivals; including the now annual Dragon Festival. Luna was a regular at the martial tournament at the fesitivals, and continued her heroic escapades whenever the countryside was threatened by bandits.

**Cael ("A Craven Redeemed") and Eve ("The Black Lightning")**

Cael and Eve were married at the second annual Dragon Festival. Cael had achieved his dream to become a noble, and was granted a duchy in Southern Esteos. He was initially a poor ruler, but with Eve's urgings he tried to better himself in the eyes of the people. He grew to see a position of power not as a status symbol, but as a real position of duty to his people. Eve, rambunctious as she could be, surprised everyone by settling into the life of a homebody. She helped Cael's administration and dedicated herself to raising their one daughter, Victoria. She never returned to Indartis.

**Gale ("Light in the Dark") and Eden ("The Golden Thunder")**

Eden was perplexed by Gale's fascination with magic at first, but her love of reading saw her incredibly interested when he began writing research papers and theses on new forms of magic use. They married a few years later and moved to Arcymis, where Gale presented and pursued his theories. Ironically, the Dark Mage pioneered the creation of Light Magic tomes, helping to militarize a new order of spellcasters; the Monks. As a non-magical citizen of Arcymis, Eden did her best to further the cause of nonmagical rights in the nation she now called home. With the new Archmagus in place, however, she could make little progress. She and Gale had 2 children, a boy named Carn and a girl named Veronica, and she kept regular contact with her beloved sister, Eve.

**Carn ("Darkness Untapped")**

Having died in the depths of Estralis, Carn never realized his dream of acquiring the mythic dark tome of Imhullu. His close friend Gale, however, kept his dream alive and scoured the libraries and ruins of Arcymis, eventually finding it in a long-forgotten dungeon. He made no use of it, however, and instead donated it to the Carn Museum of Dark Magic in Arcymis, a museum that Gale had built in memoriam of his friend. Carn was canonized as the patron saint of Misfits in the Church of Naga. He is immortalized in stained glass images of him raining down fire with a tome in hand and a smile on his face.

**Duncan ("Faith Unwavering")**

With the formation of the Church of Naga, Nah assisted in the electing of Duncan as a saint, the Patron Saint of All Clergymen. He is immortalized in stained glass portraits of him bowing before and thanking Nah for her aid and support. A statue of him stands in Faithcrest in the same pose.

**Lizeth ("Boundless Confidence")**

Lizeth never knew any other duty other than her duty to Nah that ended in her death. Honored by Lizeth's service, Nah had her canonized as the Patron Saint of Horsemen and Cavalrymen. She is immortalized in images of her charging on horseback towards the burning Ormican fort in the port cities. A statue in Whitemere shows her in the same pose.

**Thormund ("The Unwavering")**

Having nearly lost his life protecting people time and time again and then finally falling while holding the line against the Abyssnians, it was fitting that he be canonized as the Saint of Guardians and Defenders. He was immortalized in images of him fighting against the onslaught of Abyssnians under the sea.

**Landon ("The Sightless Seer")**

Though he was largely an unseen force during the campaign, the sage Landon would not be forgotten by the Voice he served, and was canonized as the Saint of Scholars and Magic Users.

**Varos ("Broken-Hearted Betrayer")**

Varos' status as a hero and martial legend in Albium faded after his betrayal and the dissolution of Albium. Though his name lived on in the history books, the caring father and dauntless defender was forgotten in light of the infamous traitor

**Novalyn ("Diamond in the** **Rough")**

Novalyn paid her debt with Ursula by serving in the Esteos campaign, and she saw no place for herself afterwards. Lost without a cause to pursue, Novalyn signed upon an expedition to explore the other continents outside of Castradea to search for other civilizations. She was never heard from again.

**Ursula ("Axe-Queen of the West")**

As per her word, Ursula never returned to banditry. Instead she turned to piracy, and was feared throughout all of Castradea; particularly in Ormica, where she was wanted for hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Some say she hunted the region for its' wealth, while others say she held a hatred for the nation and sought vengeance.

**Ned ("Duke Edward of Vaike") and Alora ("Imperial Inquisitor")**

Ned struggled at first with keeping his newfound duchy in order. He displeased many of his people and even attempted to slip away, stopping only because his wife Alora pleaded with him to remain. At a loss, he began and kept up regular correspondence with his friend, Emperor Isaac. Through shared ideas, Ned was able to improve his rulership and pass the knowledge unto his four children as well; Ezekiel, Riley, Gamlen, and Julius.

Alora was formally knighted in Archadia, and personally aided the Leviathan Initiative's efforts to eliminate and destroy any evidence of the existence of Abyssnians, to avoid the same thing that happened to Kimata and her mother. She was appointed to the office of Imperial Inquisitor, and was placed in charge of fettering out threats to the security of the empire, working with old friends like Silas and Luna from time to time to do so.

**Faye ("Guardian to Kings")**

Faye's contribution to Isaac's life would not be forgotten. Along with many others, Faye was canonized in the Church of Naga; specifically as the Patron Saint of Mothers, Caretakers, and Teachers. A statue of her stands at the entrance of the Imperial Palace of Archadia. 

**Kasumi ("The Guiding Hand")**

Kasumi discovered that she was with child soon before the end of the campaign, and gave birth to her and Daud's only son, Daichi, 8 months after Daud's death, naming her son after her deceased father. Refusing to give into grief, Kasumi remained as a close advisor and strategist to Isaac, as well as the new Vassal-Queen of Esteos under the Empire of Archadia. She brought her infant son to all of her courtly meetings, and taught him of the heroics of his father and those who fought alongside him. Daichi grew to be a capable and renowned knight, and wielded Reginleif like his father before him. 

**Daud ("The Shield of Esteos")**

Daud would be immortalized as an Archadian folk hero, known across the continent for his heroic sacrifice that saved Esteos, if not the world. He was soon canonized by the church of Naga as the Patron Saint of Martyrs and Sacrifice. A grand statue of him, standing over 150 feet tall, stands in the very center of New Estralis and is visible from nearly everywhere in the city. His legacy would be carried on by his son Daichi, whom Isaac favored greatly in honor of the service of his father. The house of Nakahara became a small, yet revered noble line in Archadia, within which Reginleif is still a treasured relic... albeit in a different form. That, however, is a story for another time. 

**Isaac ( _Primus Imperator Archadia_ ) and Naomi ("The Gentle Mirage")**

The wedding of Isaac and Naomi was a grand occasion that saw guests from all over the continent. As the first emperor of a newly formed Empire, Isaac saw little opposition in marrying not only a commoner, but a former thief and criminal.  

The early years of Isaac's rule were difficult, as he had expected, yet he worked through them diligently and with high ideals as he had worked through his campaign to reclaim his homeland. He made peace where he could, threats where he had to, and deals when they benefited his people. Above all, he was a compassionate man, a gentle and kind Emperor who gave his utmost to provide for his people as best as he could. He reigned as Emperor for seventy-three years, and was greatly beloved by his subjects. To this day, his exploits and the efforts of those who aided him are still the subject of legends and myth. 

Naomi had hardly imagined herself the Empress of the largest nation on the continent when she carefully pick-pocketed a finely dressed boy so many years ago. Never one to sit still, Naomi compounded her duties as Empress with her contributions as the Empire's spy network. Through careful diplomacy and several well-placed favors, Naomi established a spy network stretching from the Northern reaches of Archadia to the beaches of Ormica. 

The couple had three children; eldest daughter Raven, middle son Lucius, and youngest daughter Talitha. 

**Nah ("The Voice of Naga")**

Nah reluctantly took an advising role in the newly formed Church, and took the opportunity to properly honor those who fell in the Estean campaign through a series of canonizations to fill out the initial roster of Saints. Once done, Nah retreated to the mountains with a small number of attendants, that she could spend her many years in sleep and meditation. Centuries later, Nah disappeared. Legends say she returned to exploring the Outrealms, so that she could aid the inhabitants of yet another world. 

* * *

 

** Ten Years Later  **

"Tell the Chancellors that we agree with their terms. With luck, we'll have the shipments within the month. Duke Edward will be pleased." Emperor Isaac told his messenger, who respectfully bowed and exited the throne room. 

Naomi, from her throne beside Isaac, smiled at her husband. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching you work, you know." 

Isaac blushed and scratched at his well-kept beard. "Yes, well... I don't think I'll ever get tired of working." 

The doors to the throne room opened as the messenger left, and two others entered the room.Queen Kasumi, with her young son following behind her, entered with smiles on their faces. 

"Hello, Isaac." Kasumi spoke with a grin. "I take it you brokered the deal with Ormica, as we spoke of?" 

"But of course." Isaac replied, boasting a bit. "Would you expect anything less?" 

Kasumi shook her head, her ponytail flipping back and forth as she did so. "No, I suppose not. I've learned not to underestimate you, Isaac." 

Isaac smiled and looked down. "Hello, Daichi. It's been some time since I've seen you, young man." 

Daichi smiled and bowed before the Emperor, prompting Isaac to stand. "Daichi, my boy..." he said as he descended the steps of the throne mound. 

"Y-yes, your highness?" Daichi asked, remembering all of the lessons in etiquette his mother had taught him over the years. 

With a smile, Emperor Isaac bowed before Daichi, surprising the young boy. 

"Daichi, son of Daud... You bow to no one." 


End file.
